The Dibner Library
of the History of
Science and Technology
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION LIBRARIES
^jSeSw
^^^^^^^»
SCEPTIC AkCHYMlSf:
OR
CHYMICO. PHYSICAL
Doubts & Paradoxes,
Touching the
SPACYRlST'S PRINCIPLES
Commonly call'd
I hypos tatical;
As they are wont to be Propos'd and
Defended by the Generality of
ALCHYMISTS.
hereunto is premised f>art of another Difcour^
relating to the fame Subject
B Y
The Honourable ROBERT BOTLE, jEfe
L O JV.D O N>
printed by J. Cadveil for J. Crooke, and are to %j
IV Sold at the Ship in St. Paul's Church-Yard.
M D c L'X /;
;
A
PREFACE
INTRODUCTORY
To the fallowing Trcafife*
Ogive the Render an account jvby
the fallowing Treatife isfuffer'a
to pafs abroad fo maim'd, and im-
perfeBjt I mufl inform him that 'tis
now long fine ey that to gratify an
ingenious Gentleman, I fet down fame of the
Pie afons that kept me from fully acquiefcing ei-
ther in the Peripatetic al, or in the thymic al
'DoBrine , of the Material Principles of mixt
'bodies. This Difcourfefome years after falling
into the hands offome Learned men, had the
Ygood luck to be fo favourably received, and ad-
vantageouflyfpokencifbythem, that having had
more then ordinary Invitations given me to
make it publick, I thought fit to review it, that
'/might retrench fome things that feemi'd not fa
fit to be fhewn to every Reader, And fubfliMe
$me of tbofe other things that occurfd to me of
<& the
A Preface Introductory.
the try ah and observations I had fimt made*
what bee ame of my papers , I elf e where mention
in a Preface where I complain of it : But fine e £
writ That , I found many fheets that belong d to
the fibjeBs I am now about to difcourfe of,
H^jeref ore feeing that I had then in my hands as
much of the fir ft Dialogue 'as was re qui file to
Bate the Cafe, and ferve for an Introduction as
well to the conference betwixt Carncade sandE-
leu therius,^ to fame other Dialogues, which 'for
'certain re&fons are not now herewith publijh'd,!
refolv d to f apply, 0 well as I could, the Contents
of a Paper belongingtothefecond of the follow-
ing Difcourfes, which I could not pojfibly re-
trive, though it were the chief of them all. And
having once moretrfd the Opinion of friends,
bat not of the fame, about this imperfeB wo,!;, 1
found it fuck , that I was content in conveyance
with their De fires, that not only it fhould be pub- '
liflod, but that itjbouldbepublijh'd as foon a-
conveniently might be J had indeed all along th t-
Dialogues fpoken of "my felf, as of a third Per
fon 5 for, they containing Difcourfes which wet •
among the fir fi-Treatifes that I ventured long ag ft
to write pf matters Philofophical, ihadreafo f
to defire,w'tth the Painter, to latere pone tabu h
hm,andbear what men would fay ofthem,befor ^
/ ownd my felf to be tieir Author . Butbefidt *'>
that now I find^tis not unknown to many who it \ \t
A Prseface Introdu&ory.
that writ them, I am made to believe that 'tis not
inexpedient ^ theyfhouldbe known to come from
a Per f on not altogether a granger to ChymicA
jiff airs. And I made the lefjefcruple to let them
tome abroad uncompleated, partlj^ecaufe my af-
fairs and Pr<e~ingagements topublifh divers
other Treatifes allow d me fmall hopes of being
able in agreat while to comfleat thefe Dialogues.
And partly j becaufe I am not unapt to think ^
that they may come abroad feafonably enough^
though not for the Authors reputation, jet for o-
ther purpofes. For Iobferve^ that of late Chy-
miBry begins ■> as indeed it defervesy to be culti-
vated by Learned Men who before de f pis* d it 3
and to be pretended to by many who never cuhi*
voted it, that they maybe thought not to ignore
jfej : whence it is come to pajje/hat divers Chy-
mical Notions about Matters Philofophical are
Uken for granted and emplofd, and fo adopted
%y very eminent Writers both Naturalifis and
fhyfitians. Now this I fear may prove fome-
m>hat pre judicial to the Advancement of folid
fhibfophy : For though lam a great Lover of
thymic al Experiments, and though I have no
mean esteem of divers Chemical Remedies , yet
diflinguifh thefe from their Notions about the
<aufes of things, and their manner of Generation.
\pd for ought I can hitherto difcern, there are
a thoufand Phenomena in Nature, be fides a
A 2 mul"
A Preface Introdu^ory.
Multitude of Accidents relating to the humane\
Body, which willfcarceiybe clearly & fatisfaBo*,
rily made out by them that confine themfeljes to
deduce things from Salt, Sulphur and Mercury ,
and the other Notions peculiar to the ChymiftsyL
without taking much more Notice than they arc \
wont to do, of the Motions and Figures, oftkm
fmall Tarts of Matter $ and the other more Ca- 1»
tholick and Fruitful ajfeBions of "Bodies* where- \
fore it will not perhaps be now unfeafonable fejL
let our Carneades warm Men, not to fubfcribel^
to the grand DoBrine of the Cbymtfis touching^
their three Bypofiatical Principles, till they l^
have a little examind it, and confiderd, how^
they can clear it from his ObjeBions, divers efy
which'tis like they may never have thought on ^
fince a Chymififcarce would^andnom but a Ofy- ^
mifi could propofe them. J hope alfo it will not be ,
unacceptable to fever al Ingenious Perfons, who I*
are unwilling to determine of any important %
Controver fie, without a previous confederation of
what may be faid on both fides, and yet have
greater de fires to underfiandChymical Matters,
than Opportunities of learning them, to find here
together, be fides f ever al Experiments of my own
prpofely made to Ilkfirate the DoBrine of the.
Elements , diveri others feme to be met mth,
oiherwife then Scattered among many Chy-
mkal Msoks9 And to Find thefe Affo-
aated
A Preface Introdu&ory,
tided Experiments fo Deliver d as that an
Ordinary Reader 3 if he be but Acquainted
with the ufuall Chymical Termes, may ea-
sily enough Understand Them ; and even a
pary One may fafely rely on Them, Thefe
Things I add, becaufe a Perfon any Thing
vers'd in the Writings of Cbymifts cannot
but Difcern by their obfcure, ambiguous, and
Ulmoft Enigmatical fray of exprejfmg what
Ifbey pretend to Teach , that they have no
Mind to be under flood at all, but by the •
I Sons of Arc ( as they call them) mr to be
i&nderftood even by thefe without Difficulty
(and Hazardous Tryalls. Infomuch that fame
of Them Scarce ever fpeak fo candidly, as
when they make ufe of that known Cbymical
^Sentence; Ubi palam Jocuti fumus, ibi nihil
4 cliximus. And as the obfcurity of what fome
"'r iters deliver makes it very difficult to be un-?
erflood 5 fo the Unfaithfulnefs of too many o~
thers makes it unfit to be relfd on. For
though unwillingly, Tet Imu&for the truths fake,
1 and the Readers, warm him not to be forward
1 to believe Chymical Experiments when they are
I fet down only by way of Prefcriptions, and not of
I Relations ; that is, unlefs he that delivers them
! mentions his doing it upon his own particular
knowledge, or upon the Relation of fome credible
ferfon^avowing it upon his own experience. ft r I
A 3 am
A Preface Introdu&ory.
am troubled^ I mufl complain, that even Emi-
nent Writers, both Phyfitians and PhilofopherSy
whom I can eafily name, if it be requird, have
of latefitfferd themfelves to be fo far imposed
upon, as to Publico and Build upon Chemical
Experiments, which queftionlefsthey never \tryd$
for if they had, they would, as well as I, have
found them not to be true. And indeed it were to
be wifb'd, that now that thofe begin to quote Chy-
mkal Experiments that are not themfelves -de-
. quamted with Chymical Operations, men would
Leave off that Tndefnite Way of Vouching the
Chymi&s fay this, or the Chymifts affirme that,
md would rather for each Experiment they
alledge name the Author or Authors, upon
whofe credit they relate it ; For, by this means I
they would fecure themfelves from the fufpi-
Hon offalfhood(to which the ether PraUice Ex-
pofes them ) and they would Leave the Reader to
Judge of what is fit for him to Believe of what
is Deliver d, whilfl they employ not their own
great names to Countenance doubtfuU Relations 5
and they will alfo do fuflice to the Inventors or
Publishers of true Experiments, as well as up-
on the Obtmders of falfe ones, whereas by thai:
general Way of quoting the Chymifs, the candid
Writer is Defrauded of the particular Praife,
and the Impoftor efcapes the Perfond Difgrace
that is due to him*
The
A Preface Intrpdu&ory.
The remaining Part of this Preface mufl be
implofdin faying fomething for Carneades,
ar/d fomething for my Self.
And firfti Carneades hopes that he will be
thought to have difputed civilly and Modeftly e-
noughfor one that was to play the Antagonifl
and the Sceptkh. And if he any where feem
to fleight his Adverfaries Tenents and Argu-
ments3 he is willing to have it look'd upon as
what he was indued to, not fo much by his
Opinion of them , as the Examples of Tnemi-
ftiustfWPhiloponus^ and the cvjtom of fucB -
hindof Difputes.
Next j In cafe that fome of his Arguments
[ball not be thought of the moft Cogent fort that
may be^ he hopes it will be confiderd that it
ought not to be ExpeBedjhat they [hould be So.
For, his Part being chiefly but to propofe Doubts
and Scruples 3 he does enough^ if he fhews that
his Adverfaries Arguments are not flrongly
Concluding, though his own be not fo neither.
And if there (hould appear any dif agreement be-
twixt the things he delivers in divers pajfages,
he hopes it will be confiderd , that it is not ne-
cefjarphat all the things a Sceptick Propofes,
fhould be confonant ;fince it being his work to
Suggejl doubts againf the Opinion he queftionSy
k it is allowable for him topropofe two or morefe-
verall Hypothefes about the fame thing: And to
A 4 © fay
A Preface Imrodu&ory,
fay that it may be accounted for this way, or thai
way, or the other fVay, though the fe wayes be per-
hays inconfiflent among Thetnf elves, Becaufeit '
is enough for him,if either of the propofed My-
potheles be but as probable as that he calls a que-
{lion. And if he propofes many that are Each of
them probable Joe does the more fatisfie his doubts y
by making it appear the more difficult to befurey
that that which they alwayes differ from is the
true, And our Carneades by holding the Nega-
tive^ he has this Advantage, that if among all the
InHances he brings to invalidate all the Vulgar
j&oBrine ofthofe he Difputes with, any one be Ir-
refragable, that ahne isfufficient to overthrow
a Doftrine which tlniver fatly ajjerts what he op-
pofesjor, it cahnot be true, that all Bodies what-
foever that are reckon d among the PerfeBly
mixt Ones, are Compounded offuch a Determi-
nate Number offuch or fuch Ingredients , in cafe
any one fich Body can be produced, that is
not fo compounded , and he hopes too, that Ac-
tus atenefs will be the lefs expeEted from himy
hecaufe his undertaking obliges him to maintain
fuch Opinions in Chymifiry, and that chiefly by
Chymical Arguments, as are Contrary to the
very Principles of the Chymifls; Iromwhofe
writings it is not Therefore like he fhould re-
ceive any intentiomll A finance t except from
fume Faff ages afthe Bold and Ingenious Hel-
monta
A Preface Introductory,
tflont 5 with whom he yet dif agrees in man)
things (which reduce him to explicate Divert
CkymicalPhxnomem, accordingto other ifo-
tions 5 ) And ofwhofe Ratiocinations , not only
fome feem very Extravagant, but even the Reft
are not wont to be as considerable as his Experi-
ments, And though it be True indeed , thatfonfa
Ariftotelians have occasionally writt en againfi
the Chymical DoHrine heOppugnes, yet Jince
they have done it according to their Princi-
ples, And fwce cur Came&des mufl as well op-
pefe their Hyvdthc&s as that oftheSpagyrift,he
was fain to fight his Adverfaries with their own
Weapons , Tbofe of the Peripatetic k being Im-
proper , if not hurtfull for a P erf on of his Te*
vents -, be fides that thofe Ariftotelians , ( at
Leafi, tkfe he met with, ) that have written
again ft the Cbymifts, feem to have had fo
little Experimental Knowledge in Chymical
Matters, that by their frequent Miftakes and
unskilfull Way of Oppugning^ they have too of-
ten exposed Themfelves to the Derifion of * their
Adverfaries ) for writing fo Confidently again ft
what they appear fo little to underfland.
And Laftlyy Carneades hopes, he [hall doe
the Ingenious this Piece of fervice, that by ha-
ving Thus drawn the Chymifts DoHrine out cf »
.their Dark and Smoakie Laboratories, and both
brought it into the open light,and fbewn the weak-
tufs
A Preface Introdu&ory.
&efs of their Proofs jhat have hitherto keen wont <.
to be brought for it, either Judicious Men [hall
henceforth be allowed calmly and after due infor-
mation to dif believe it, or thofe abler Chymijis,
that are zealomfor the reputation of it, will be .
cblig'd to [peak plainer then hitherto has been
done, and maintain it by better Experiments
and Arguments then Thofe Carneades hath
examind : fo That he hopes, the Curious will
me tray or other Derive either fatisfaBi.on or
itftfruBion from his endeavours. And as he
is ready to make good the profejfion he makes
inthe clofe of his Difcourfe, he being ready
to be better inform d, fo he expeBs either to be
indeed inform d, or to be let alone. For Though j
if any Truly knowing Chymifls foall Think Jit
in a civil and rational way to fhew him any truth
touching the matter inDifpute That he yet dif-
cernes not, Carneades will not refufe either to j
admit) or to own a ConviBiomyet if any imper- I
tinent Per fan fhall, either to get Himfelfal
Name,or for what other end foever, wilfully or I
carelefly mrftake the State of the Controverfie,or I
Gn4H.F' defence of his Arguments, or (hall rail inflead]
and o- of arguing, as hath been done of Late in Print '
thers,in ^ divers Chymijis ; or laftly, fhall wvite a-l\
books z-gainti them in a canting way -, I mean, fhall ex-t
gainft prefs himfelfin ambiguous or obfcure termes,- or
thek* ' argue from experiments not intelligibly enough
Ve~
A Preface Introdu&ory.
Delivered) Carneades profeffes^That he values
his time fa much) as not to think the anfwering
fitch Trifles worth the lofs of it.
And now bating faid thus much for Carne-
ades,/ hope the Reader will give me leave t&
fajfometbing too for ?ny felf.
And fir fc, if fome morofe Readers [hall find
fault with my having made the Interlocutors up-
on eccafion complement with one another, and
that I have almofk all along written thefeDia^
hgues in a ft He more Fashionable then That- of
meer fchoUrs is wont to be J hope Ijhall be ex*
ctisd by them that [hall confider, that to keep a
due decorum in the Difcourfesjt was fit that in
a book written by a Gentleman, and wherein only
Gentlemen are introducdas fpeakers ythe Lan~
guagefjjould be more f moot h, and the Expref-
fions more civil than is ufual in the mere Scho-
lajlick way of writing. And indeed, I am not
forty to have this Opportunity of giving an ex-
ample how to manage even Difputes with Civi*
lity ; whence perhaps fome Readers will be off
. fifled to difcern a Difference betwixt Muntnefi
of fpeech and Strength of reafon, and find that
a man may be a Champion for Truth ^without be-
ing an Enemy to Civility\md may confute an O-
pinion without railing at Them that hold it ; To
whom he that de fires to convince and not to pro-
yoke them, mufi make fome amends by his Ci-
vility
A Preface Introductory.
frets to evince that Their art is able to make
amends even for the deficiencies of their Theory.
And thus much I [kail here make bold to addjhat
we jhall much undervalue Chymifiry, if roe ima-
gine^ that it cannot teach w things fan more ufe-
fulynot only to Phyjick but to Philofophyjhan thofe
that are hitherto known to vulgar Chymifts. And
'yet as for inferiour Spagyrifis themf elves, they
have by their labours defeyvdfo well of the Com-
mon-wealth of Learnings thatmethinkshis Pity
they fhould ever mifje the Truth which they have
foindufirioufly fought. And though J be\m Ad-
mirer of the TheoricalPart of their Art, yet my
conjectures will much deceive me, if the Practi-
cal Part be not much more cultivated than hi-
therto it has been, and do not both employ Phi-
lofophy and Philofophers, and help to make men
fuch. Nor would I that have been diverted by
other Studies as we Has affairs fjte thought to pre-
tend being a profound SpavyriH,by finding fo
many faults in the Dotlrtne wherein the Genera-
lity of Chpnifls fcruples pot to Acquiefce : For
befidesthat His mofi commonly far eafier toftame
Objections againtf any proposed 'Hypothecs,
than to propcfean Hypothefis not lyable to Ob-
jections ( be fides this I fay ) 'tis no fuch great
matter, if whereas Beginners in Chymiftry are
commonly at once imbud with the Theory and
Operations of their frofejfwn , I [who had the
good
A Preface Xntroclu&oiy.
good Fortune to 'Learn the Operations from il-
literate P erf cm) upon whofe credit I was not
Itempted ' to' take up any opinion aboutthem$ould
confider things with lejje prejudice, and con-
fetjuently with other Eyes than the Generality of
Learners j And fhould be More difpos'd t&
accommodate the Phenomena that occur d to
me to other Notions than to thofe efthe Spagi-
rip. And having at firH entertained a fa-
ffition That the Vulgar Principles were lefje
General and comprehenfive, or lejje confider ate-
ly Deduced from Chymical Operations 3 than
wabelievd ; it was not nne a fie for me both
to Take notice of divers Ph3enomcna3 over-
looked by prepofjeft Perfons, thatfeemd not
to fuite fo well with the Hermetical Do8rine$
and to devife fame Experiments likely t&
furnish me with ObjeBions again ft it, not known
to many j that having praBis^d Chymifiry longer
perchance then I have yet linfd , may havs
far more Experience, Than I, of particular pre*
ceffes.
To conclude , whether the Notions I have
proposd^ and the Experiments I have commimi-
I cated, be confider able, or not, I willingly leave
' others to Judge ; and This only I foaltfay for
my Self That I have endeavour d to deliver
. matters of FaB, fa faithfully, that I may as well
ajfifthe leffe skilful Readers to examine the
Chy-
A Preface Introdu&ory.
Chymical Hypothecs, as provoke the Spagyrical
Philofophers to illufirate it : which if they do ,
Mid that either the Chymical opinion, or the pe-
ripatetick, or any other Theory of the Elements
differing from that / am mo(t inclined to^jhaU be
intelligibly explicated^ and duly proved to me 5
what J have hitherto difcoursd will not hinder
it from making a Profelyte of a Perfon that
Loves FhBuation of Judgment little enough t$
, he willing to be e&fd of it by any thing but Er«
■
_w_ . 1 — ^— — *
. . .
(O
PHYSIOLOGICAL
CONSIDERATIONS
Touching
The experiments wont to be em-
ployed to evince either the IV
Peripatetic}^ Elements ■> or the
III Chymical Principles of
Mixt Bodies,
Part of the Firft Dialogue.
Perceive that divers of my
Friends have thought it very
Grange to hear me fpeak (o
lrrefoIve41y3 as I have been
wont to do, concerning thofe
things which fome take to be the Ele-
ments, and others to be the Principles of
all mixt Bodies. But 1 blufh not to ac-
knowledge that I much leffe fcruple to
confefs chat I Doubt, when I do fo3 then
B to
to profefs that I Know what I do not :
And I fhould have much ftronger Expe-
ctations then I dare yet entertain, to fee
Philofophy folidly eftablifh't , if men
would more carefully diftinguifh thofe
things that they know, from thofe that
they ignore or do but think, and then
explicate clearly the things they conceive
they understand , acknowledge ingenu-
oufly what it is they ignore, and profefs
m (o candidly their Doubts, that the in-
" duftry of intelligent perfons might be
fet on work to make further enquiries,
and the eafinefs of lefs difcerning Men
might not be impos'd on. But bccaufe
a more particular accompt will probably
be expected of my unfatisfyednefs not
only with the Peripatetick, but with the
ChymicalDo&rineofthe Primitive In-
gredients of Bodies : It may poflibly ferve
to fatisfy others of the excufablenefs of
my difatisfadlion to perufe the enfu-
ing Relation of what pafled a while
fince at a meeting of perfons offeveral
opinions, in a place that need not here
be named 5 where the fubjeft whereof
we have been fpcaking, was amply and
varioufly difcours'd of.
It'
(J)
It was on one of the faireft dayes of
this Summer that theinquiiitive Eletitbe-
rim came to invite me to make a vifit
with him to his friend Caweades. 1 readi-
ly contented to this motion, telling him
that if he would but permit me to go
flrft and make an excufe at a place not
far off, where I had at that hour ap-
pointed to meet, but not about a bufi-
nefs either of moment, or that could not
well admit of a delay, I would prefently
wait on him, becaufe of my knowing
Camcades toi>e fo converfant with nature
and with Furnaces, and founconfin'd to
vulgar Opinions, that he would proba-
bly by fome ingenious Paradox ©r other,
give our mindes at leaft a pleafing Exer-
cife, and perhaps enrich them with fome
folid inftru&ion. Eleutberius then firft go-
ing with me to the place where my A-
pology was to be made, I accompanied
him to the lodging of Carneades> where
when we were come,we were told by the
Servants, that he was retired with a cou-
ple of Friends (whofe names they alfo
told us) to one of the Arbours in his
Garden, to enjoyunder its coole fhades
a delightful protection from the yet
troublefome heat of the Sun,
B a Elentbe*
(4)
Eleutherius being perfe&ly acquaintedi
with that Garden immediately led me
to the Arbour, and relying on the in^-f
timate familiarity that had been long
cherifh'd betwixt him and Carneades 5 in
fpight of my Relu&ancy to what might!
look like an intruiion upon his privacy,
drawing me by the hand, he abruptly
entered the Arbour, where we found j
Carneades , PhihponuSy and Tkemiflms, fit- 1
ting clofe about a little round Table, on f
which beficfes paper, pen, and inke,;
there lay two or three open Books 5 1
Carneades appeared not at all trou-p
bled at this furprife, but rifing fromsr
the Table j received his Friend withp
open looks and armes3 and welcom-:
ing me alfo with his wonted freedom f
and civility, invited us to reft our lelves %
by him, which, as foon as we had ex- 1
changed with his two Friends ( who i
were ours alfo ) the civilities accuftom- fi
ed on fuch occafions , we did. And I
he prefently after we had feated ourB
felves, fhutting the Books that lay open. |j
and turning to us with a fmiling coume- 1
nance feemed ready to begin fome fuch |
Unconcerning difcourfe as is wont ro pafsl
or rather wafte the time in promsfcuous J
companies. ^UC||
(5)
But Eleutherius guefling at what be
meant to do, prevented him by telling
him, I perceive Cameades by the books
that you have been now (hutting, and
much more by the pofture wherein I
found Perfons qualifi'd to difcourfe of
ferious matters, and fo accuftom'd to
do it, that you three were before our
coming, engag'din fome Philofophical
conference, which I hope you will ei-
ther profecute, and allow us to be par- '
takers of, in recompence of the free-
dome we have us'd in prefuming to fur-
prifeyou, or elfe give us leave to repair
the injury wefhould othcrwife do you,
by leaving you to the freedom we
have interrupted , and punifhing our
felves for our boldnefs by depriving our
felves of the happinefs of your con*-
pany. With thefe laft words he and
Irofe up, as if we meant to be gone,
But Cameades fuddenly laying hold on
his arme, and flopping him by ky fmile-
ingly told him, We are not fo forward
tolofe good company as you feem to
imagine 5 especially fmce you are pleas'd
to defire to be prefenc at what we fhall
fay, about fuch a Subject as that You
found us confidering. For that, being
B3 the -
the number of the Elements, Princi-
ples, or Materiall Ingredients of Bo-
dies, is an enquiry whole truth is of that
Importance, and of that Difficulty,
thar it may as well deferve as require to
befearched into by fuch skilful 1 Lidaga-
tors of Nature as your felves. And
therefore we Cent to invite the bold and
acute Leucippus to lend us fome light by
his Atomical Paradox, upon which we
expected fuch pregnant hints, that 'twas
not without a great deal of trouble that
we had lately word brought us that he
was not to be foundjand we had likewife
begg'd the Affiftance of your prefence
and thoughts, had not the meiTenger
we employ'd to Leucippus inform'd us,
that as he was going , he faw you both
pafs by towards another part of the
Town , And this fruftrated expectation
of Leucippus his company, who told me
but laft night that he would be ready
to give me a meeting where I pleas'd to
day, having very lone fufpended our
conference about the frefhly mention'd
Subject , it was fo newly begun when
you came in, that we (hall fcarce need
to repeat any thing to acquaint you
with what has pafs'd betwixt us before
your
(7)
your arrival, f© that 1 cannot but look
upon it as a fortunate Accident that you
mould come To feafonably, to be not
hearers alone, but we hope Interlocu-
tors at our conference. For we (hall
not only allow of your prefence at it,
but defire your Afliftancc in it , which
I adde both for other reafons , and be-
caufe though thefe learned Gentlemen
( fayes he, turning to his two friends )
need not fear to difcourfe before any .
Auditory, provided it be intelligent e-
nough to underftand them, yet for my
part ( continues he with a new fmile, )
I (hall not dare to vent my unpremedita-
ted thoughts before two fuch Criticks,
unlefs by promifing to take your turnes
of 1 peaking, You will allow me mine
of quarrelling, with what has been faid.
He and his friends added divers things
to convince us that they were both de*
firous that we ihould hear them , and
refolved againft our doing fo, unlefs
we allowed them fometimes to hear us.
Ehtberws after having a while fruit-
lefly endeavoured to obtain leave to be
filent promised he would not te foal-
Wayes, provided that he were permit*
ted according to the freedom of his
B 4 Genious
(8)
Genious and Principles to fide with one i
of rhem in the managing of one Ar-
gument and, if he faw caufe,with his
Antagonift, in the Profecution of ano-
ther , without being confin'd to (lick i
to any one party or Opinion , which i
was after fome debate accorded him.
But I confeious to my own Difability's i
told them refolutely that / was as much I
more willing as more fit to be a hear-
er then a fpeaker, among fuch knowing '
Perfons , and on (o abftrufe a Subject. ;
And that therefore 1 befeeched them j
without necessitating me to proclaim i
my weakncfTes, to allow me to leffen [
them by being ahlent Auditor of their ]
Difcouries : to furfer me to be at which ;
I could prefent them no motive, fave
that their infractions would make them
in me a more intelligent Admirer. I
added, that I defir'd not to be idle j
whilli they were imploy'd, but would |
it they pleas'd, by writing down in lhort |
hand what fhould be delivered , pre- (
ferve Difcourfes that I knew would I
merit to be lafting. At firft Carne&det \
and his two friends utterly rejected \
this motion 5 and all that my Rcfolute- -I
nefs to make ufe of my ears , not I
tongue
(9)
tongue, at their debates, could do, was
to make them acquiefce in the Pro-
portion of EkuiheriuSi who thinking
himfelf concern'd , becaufe he brought
me thither, to afford me feme faint
afMance, was content that 3 fhould
regifter their Arguments, that I might
be the better able after the conclusion
of their conference to give them my
fence upon the Sub)c£ of it, (The
number of Elements or Principles : )
which he promis'd I fhould do at the
end of the prefent Debates, if time
would permit^ or elie at our next
meeting. And this being by him un-
dertaken in my name., though without
my confent, the company would by no
means receive my Proteftar'on againft
it, but calling, all at once, their eyes on
Carneades, they did by that and their u-
nanimous filence, invite him to begin;
which ( after a fhort paufe,during which
he turnM himfelf to Eleutherim and me)
he did in this manner.
Notwithstanding the fubtile reafo-
nings I have met with in the books of
the Peripateticks, and the pretty expe-
riments that have been ftiew'd me in the
Laboratories of Chymiih, 1 am of fo
diffident
Cio)
diffident, or dull a Nature, as "to think i
that if neither of them can bring more i:
cogent arguments to evince the truth of j
their ahertion then are wont to be;
brought 5 a Man may rationally enough I
retain fome doubts concerning the very
number of thofe materiall Ingredients
of mixt bodies, which fome would have I
us call Elements, and others principles.
Indeed when I confidered that the Te-
nents concerning the Elements are as \
confiderable amongft the Doctrines oil
natural Philofophy as the Elements!
themfelves are among the bodies of the j
UntVerfe, I expected to find thofe O-
pinions folidly eftabliiVd , upon which f
fo many others are fuperftru&ed. But!
when I took the pains impartially to ex- 1
amine the bodies themfelves that are I
faid to refult from the blended Ele- R
ments, and to torture them into a con-l
fefiion of their conftituent Principles, \.
I was quickly indued to think that the I
number of the Elements has been con-f
tended about by Philofophers with;
more earneftnefs then fuccefs. This un- :
fatisfiednt fs of mine has been much1
wonder'd at, by thefe two Gentlemen j
( at whichjwords he pointed at Themifti- j
us and Phibponus ) who though they
differ almoft as much betwixt them-
lelves about the queftion we are to con-
sider, as I do from either of them, yet
they both agree very well in this, that
there is a determinate number of fuch
ingredients as I was juft now fpeaking
of, and that what that number is, I fay
not, may be ( for what may not fuch as
they pcrfwade ? ) but is wont to be
clearly enough demonitrated both by -
Reafonand Experience. This has oc-
cafion'd our prefent Conference. For
our Difcourfe this afternoon, having
fallen from one lubjecl: to another, and
at length fetl'd on this , they proffer'd
to demonftrate to me, each of them
the truth of his opinion, out of both
the Topicks that 1 have frefhly nam'd.
But on the formerf thatof Reafon ftric~tly
fo taken ) we decliivd infilling at the
prefent, left we (hculd not have time
enough before fupper to go thorough
the Reafons and Experiments too. The
latter of which we unanimously thought
the molt requifite to be ferioufly ex-
amined. I muft defire you then to take
notice Gentlemen ( continued Carne-
ades ) that my prefent buftnefs doth not
cb-
(12)
oblige me fo to declare my own opini-
on on the Subject in queftion , as to af-
fert or deny the truth either of the Pe-
ripatetick, or the Chymical Doctrine
concerning che number of the Elements,
but only to (hew you that neither of
thefe Do&rines hath been fatisfa&orily
proved by the arguments commonly
alledged on its behalfe. So that i^ i
really difcern (as perhaps I think I do )
• that there may be a more rational ac-
count then ordinary, given of one of
thefe opinions , I ' am left free to
declare my felf of it, notwithstanding my
prefent engagement, it being obvious to
all yourobfervation,that alolid truth may
be generally maintained by no other,
then incompetent Arguments. And to
this Declaration I hope it will be need-
lefs toadd,that my task obliges me not to
anfwer the Arguments that may be
drawn either for" Tbemiflius or Philovo-
su$*s Opinion from the Topick of reafon,
as oppofed to experiments ; fince'tis
thefe only that lam to examine and
not ail thefe neither, but fuch of them
alone as either of them fliall think fit to
inftft on, and as have hitherto been wont
to be brought either to prove that 'tis
the
(13)
the four Pcripatetick Elements, or that
'tis the three Chymical Principles thac
all compounded bodies confift of. Thefe
things ( adds Carneades ) I thought my
felf obliged to premife, partly left you
fhould do thefe Gentlemen ( pointing
at ibemiRhs and Pbilopoms ,and fmiling
on them ) the injury of meafuring their
parts by the arguments they are ready
to propofe, the lawes of our Conference
confining them to make u(e of thofe that
the vulgar of Philofophers ( for even of
them there is a vulgar) has drawn up to
their hands 5 and partly, that you fhould
not condemn me of preemption for dis-
puting againft perfons over whom I can
hope for no advantage, that / muft not
derive from the nature, or rules of our
controverfy, wherein I have but a nega-
tive to dcfend,and wherein too I am like
on feveral occafions to have the Af-
fiftance of one of my difagreeing advec-
faries againft the other.
Philopomis and Themiftks foon return-
ed this complement with civilities of the
like nature, in which Eleutherius perceiv-
ing them engaged, to prevent the fur-
ther lofs of that time of which they were
sot like to have very much to fpare, he
minded
(i4)
minded them that their prefent bufineue i
was not to exchange complements, but
Arguments : and then addrefling his
fpeech to Carneades, I efteem it no fmall
happinefle ( faies he ) that I am come
here fo luckily this Evening. For I have
been long disquieted with Doubts con-
cerning this very fubjecT: which you are
now ready to debate. And fince a
Qieftion of this importance is to be now
diicuffed by perfons that maintain fuch
variety of opinions concerning it, and are
both fo able to enquire after truth, and
fo ready to embrace it by whomfoever
and on what occafion foever it is prefent-
ed them ; I cannot but promife my felf
that I fhall before we part either lofe my
Doubts or the hopes of ever finding
them refolvcd ; Eleutberius paufed not
here; but to prevent their anfwer, added
almoft in the fame breath 5 and I am
not a little pleafed to find that you are
refolved on this occafion to infift rather
on Experiments then Syllogifmes. For
I, and no doubt You, have long obfer-
ved3 that thofe Dialectical fubtleties,
that the Schoolmen too often employ a-
boutPhyfiological Myfteries, are wont
much more to declare the wit of him
that
(15)
that ufes them, then increafe the know*
ledge or remove the doubts of fober lo-
vers of truth. And fuch captious fub-
tleties do indeed often puzzle and fome-
times fiience men,but rarely fatisfy them.
Being like the tricks of Jugglers, where-
by men doubt not but they are cheated,
Jthough oftentimes they cannot declare
jby what flights they are impofed on.
And therefore I think you have done
very wifely to make it your bufinelTe to
confider the Phenomena relating to the
prefent Qieftion, which have been af-
forded by experiments, efpecially fmce it
might feem injurious to our fenfes, by
whofe mediation we acquire fo much of
the knowledge we have of things corpo-
Jral, to have recourfe to far-fetched and
jabftra&ed Ratiocination, to know what
J are the fenfible ingredients of thofe fen-
jfible things that we daily fee and han-
Idle, and are fuppofed to have the liberty
tountwift ( if I may fo fpeak ) into the
f primitive bodies they confift of. He an-
nexed that he wifhed therefore they
would no longer delay his expeded fa-
tisfa&ion,if they had not, as he feared
they had, forgotten fomething prepara-
tory to their debate 5 and that was to
lay
lay down what fhould be ail along un-
derftood by che word Principle or Ele-
ment. C&rneades thank'd him for his ad-
monition, but told him that they had not
been unmindful of fo requifite a thing.
But that being Gentlemen and very far
from the litigious humour of loving to
wrangle - bout words or terms or notions
as empty ; they had before his coming
in, readily agreed promifcuoufly to ufc
when they pieafed,Elements and Princi-
ples as terms equivalent : and to under-
hand both by the one and the other,
thofe primitive and fimple Bodies of
which the mixt ones are faid to be com-.
pofed,and into which they are ultimate-
ly refolved. And upon the fame ac-
count (he added) we agreed to difcourfe
of the opinions to be debated, as we
have found them maintained by the Ge-
nerality of theaflertorsofthe four Ele-
ments of the one party, and of thofe that
receive the three Principles on the other,
without tying our felves to enquire fcru-
puloufly what notion either Ariffothot
Paraceifiitjyt this or that Interpreter, or
follower of either of thofe great perfons.;
framed of Elements or Principles ; ou
defign being to examine, not what thefc I
o;
(>7)
or thofe writers thought or taught, but
what we find to be the obvious and moil
general opinion of thofe, who arc
willing to be accounted Favourers of the
PeripatetickorChymical Doctrine, con-
cerning this fubjeft.
I fee not ( faies Eleutherius ) why you
might not immediately begin to argue,
if you were but agreed which of your
two friendly Adverfaries (hall be firft
heard. And it being quickly refolv'd
on that ThemiFi'm thou Id firft propofe
the Proofs for his Opinion ? becaufe
it was the antienter, and the more ge-
neral , he made not the company ex-
pect long before he thus addrefled him-
(df to Bleutheriw , as to the Perfon
leaft interelTed in the difpute.
If you have taken fumcient notice of
the late Confeffion which was made by
Carneades^ and which ( though his Civi-
lity dreffed it up in complementall Ex-
preffions ) was exacted of him by his
Juftice, I fuppofe You will be eafily
made fenfible, that I engage in this Con-
troverfie with great and peculiar Dif-
advantages, beudes thofe which his
Parts and my Perfonal Difabilities
would bring to any other caufe to be
C main-
OS)
maintained by me againft him. For he
juftly apprehending the force of truth,
though fpcaking by no better a tongue
then' mine, has made it the chief con-
dition of our Duell, that Iftiould lay a-
fide the heft "Weapons I have , and
thofe I can beft handle ; Whereas if I
were allowed the freedom, in pleading
for the four Elements, to employ the
Arguments fuggefted to me by Reafon
to demonftrate them, I fhculd almoft
as little doubt of making You a Pro-
fel yte to thofe unfever'd Teachers,
Truth and Ariflotk, as I do of your
'Candour and your Judgment. And 1 hope
you will ho we ver confider,that that great
Favorite and Interpreter of Nature 3
Aristotle^ who was ( as his Qrg&mm
witneifes ) the greateft Matter of Lo-
gick that ever liv'd , difclaim'd the
courfe taken by other petty Philofo-
phers ( Antientand Modern) who not
attending the Coherence and Confe-
quences of their Opinions, are more
follicitous to make each particular O-
pinion plaufible independently upon the
the reif, then to frame them allfo, as
not only to be confident together, but
to fupport each other. For that grea t
Man
(19)
Man in his vaftand comprchcnfive In*
tclle^, fo fram'd each of lis Notions*
that being curioufly adapted into one
Syfteme, they need not each of them
any other defence then that which their
mutuall Coherence gives them : As 'tis
in an Arch, where each finglc ftone,
which if fever'd from the reit would
be perhaps defencelefs, is fumciently
fecur'd by the folidity and entirenefs
of the whole Fabrick of which it is a
part. How juftly this may beapply'd
to the prefent cafe, I could eafily iliew
You, if I were permitted to declare
to You, how harmonious Ariftotles Do-
ftrine of the Elements is with his o-
thcr Principles of Philofophy jandhoW
rationally he has dedue'd their number
from that of the combinations of the
four firft Qualities from the kinds of
fenple Motion belonging to fimple bo-
dies, and from I know not how many
other Principles and Phenomena of
Hature, which fo confpire with his
Doftrine of the Elements, that they
mutually ftrengthen and fupport each
other. But fince 'tis forbidden me to
infift on Refle&ions of this kind, I rauft
proceed to tell You, that though the
Ci Af-
(20)
Affcrtors of the four Elements value
Rcafon fo highly, and are furnilh'd with
Arguments enough drawn from thence,
to be fatisfi'd that there mult be four
Elements, though no Man had ever yet
made any fcniible tryal to difcover
their Number , yet they are not desti-
tute of Experience to fatisfie others
that are wont to be more fway'd by
their fenfes then their Reafon. And
I fhall proceed to conlider the tefti-
mony of Experience , when I fhall
have firft advertis'd You, that 'd Men
were as perfectly rational as 'tis to be
wifh'd they were, this ienfible way of
Probation would be as necdlcfs as 'tis
wont to be imperfect. For it is much
more high and Philosophical to difco*
ver things a priore^ then a pfiericre.
And therefore the Peripatcticks have
not been very follicitous to gather Ex-
periments to prove their Doctrines,
contenting themfelves with a few only,
to fatisfie thofe that are not capable
of a Nobler Conviction. And indeed
they employ Experiments rather to il-
luftrate then to demonftrate their Do*
clrines, as Aftronomers ufe Spheres
of paftboard, to defcend to the capaci-
ties
.(»0
ties of fucb as muft be taught by their
fenfes, for want of being arriv'd to a
clear apprehenfion of purely Mathe-
matical Notions and Truths. Ifpeak
thus Eleutherius ( adds TbemLffius ) on-
ly to do right to Reafon, and not out of
Diffidence of the Experimental proof
1 am to alledge. For though I {hall
name but one, yet it is fuch a one as
will make all other appear as need-
lefs as it felf will be found Satisfa&ory.
For if You but confider a piece of green -
Wood burning m a Chimney, You will
readily difcern in the disbanded parts
of it the four Elements, of which we
teach It and other mixt bodies to be
compos'd. The fire difcovers it felf in
the flame by its own light $ the fmoke
by afcending to the top of the chimney,
and there readily vanifhing into air, like-
aRiverlofmg it felf in the Sea, fuffici-
ently manifelts to what Element it
belongs and gladly renames. The \va-
ter in its own form boyling and biffing
at the ends or the burning Wood bc-
. trayes it felf to more then one oi our
fenfes; and the afhes by their weight,
their firinefs,and their drynefs,put itpaft
doubt that thev belong to the Element
C3 of
(22)
of Earth. If I {poke (continues The-
miflius ) to lefs knowing Perfons, I
would perhaps make fome Excufe for
building upon fuchan obvious and eafie
Maiyfis ? but 'twould be,I fear, injurious,
not to think fuchan Apology needlcfs
to You, who are too judicious' either to
think it neceffary that Experiments to
prove obvious truths fhould be farr
fetch'd,or to wonder that amoag i'o ma-
ny mixt Bodies that are compounded
of the four Elements, fome of them
fhould upon a flight Malyjis manifest-
ly exhibite the Ingredients they confift
of, Efpecially fince it is very agreeable
to the Goodnefs of Nature, to diklok ,
even in fome of the moft obvious Expe-
riments that Men make , a Truth i'o
important, and fo recp.ifite to be taken
notice of by them. Befides that our A-
mlyfis by how much the more obvious
we make it, by fo much the more fuit-
tableit will be to the Nature of that
Doctrine which 'tis alledged to prove ,
which being as clear and intelligible to
the Understanding as obvious to the
fenfe, tis no marvail the learned part
of Mankind fhould {o long and fo ge-
nerally imbrace ir, For this Do&nne
(*3)
; is very different from the whimfeys of
Cbjmijts and other Modern Innovators.,
of whofe Hjpotbefes we may obferve,
as Naturalifts do of lefs perfect Ani-
mals, that as they are haftily form'd, fo
they are commonly fhort liv'd. For
fo thefe, as they are often fram'd in one
week, are perhaps thought fit to be
laughed at the next 5 and being bulk
.perchance but upon two cr three Expe-
riments are deilroyed by a third or
fourth , whereas the doctrine of the
four Elements was, fram'd by ArjFtotle
after he had leafurely considered thofe
Theories of former Philofophers, which
are now with great applaufe revived, as
difcovered by thefe latter ages 5 And
had fojudicioufly detected and fuppjyed
rthe Errors and defecls of former ' Hyfo-
thefis concerning the Elements, that his
.Dodrine of them has been ever fince
defervediy embraced by the letter'd
part of Mankind; All the Philofophers
rthat . preceded him having in their feve-
ral ages contributed to the compleatncfs
, of this DocVme, as thofe of fucceed-
ing times have acquiefe'd in ir. Nor has
an Hypothecs fo deliberately and ma-
. turely eftablifhed been called in Quefti-
C4 ' on
04)
On till in the M CcntmyParaeelfaand
fame, few other footy Ernpiricks, rather'
then ( as they are fain to call them-
felves ) Philofophers, having their eyes
darken'd , and their Brains troubl'd
with the fmoke of their own Furnaces,
began to rail at the Peripatetick Do-
drine, which they were too illiterate to
underitand, and to tell the credulous
World, that they could fee but three In-
. gredicnts in mixt Bodies 5 which to gain
themfelves the repute of Inventors, they
endeavoured to difguife by calling them',
mftead of Earth, and Fire, and Vapour,
Salt,Sulphur,and Mercury; to which they
gave the canting title of Hypoftatical
Principles : but when they came to de{-
cribe them, they ihewed how little they
underftood what they meant by them,
bydifagreeing as much from one ano-
ther's from the truth they agreed in op-
poflng .- For they deliver their Hypotbe-
fes as darkly as their Precedes ; and 'tis
almoft as impofiible for any fober Man
to find their meaning, as 'tis for them
to find their Elixir. And indeed no*
thing has fpread their Philofopby, but
their great Brags and undertakings 5 not-
withstanding all which3(fayes Tfamip-
us milling) I fcarce know any thing
they have performed worth wondering
at, lave that they have been able to
draw Pbihpontts to their Party, and to
engage him to the Defence ot an unin-
telligible Hypotkefis, who knowes fo well
as he does , that Principles ought to be
like Diamonds,as well very clear, as per-
fectly folid.
Themiftms having after thefe laft
words declared by his {ilence,that he had
finifhed bis Difcourfe, Carneades addref-
fing himfelf, as his Advcrfary had done,
to E leather ius , returned this Anfwer to
ir. Ihop'd for Demonftration , but I
perceive TbemiHius hopes to put mc oft
with a Harangue,wherein he cannot have
given mc a greater Opinion of his Parts,
then he has given me Diftruft for his Hy-
potkejiS) lince for it even a Man of fuch
Learning can bring no better Argu-
ments. The Rhetorical part of his Dif-
courfe, though it make not the leaft
part of ir, I {hall fay nothing to, defin-
ing to examine only the Argumentative
part, and leaving it to Philopotms to an-
fwer thofe paffages wherein either Pa-
racelfis or Ckymiffs a.rc concenfd : I fhall
obfetvc to You, that in what he has faid
befidcs
(26)
be (ides, he makes it his Bufinefs to do
thefe two things. The one to propofe
and make out an Experiment to de-
monftrate the common Opinion about
the four Elements -y And the other, to
iniinuate divers things which he thinks
may repair the weaknefs of his Argu-
ment, from Experience, and upon other
Accounts bring fome credit to the o-
therwife defencelefs Doclrine he main-
tains.
To begin then with his Experiment of
the burning Wood , it 1 eems to me to
be obnoxious to not a few conftderabie
Exceptions.
And firft, t£ I would now deal rigidly
with my Adverfary, I might here make
a great Qjeftion of the' very way' of
Probation which he and others employ,
-without the leaft fcruple, to evince, that
the Bodies commonly cali'd mixt, are
made up of Earth, Air, Water, and
Fire, which they are pleas'd alfo to call
Elements $ namely that upon the fup-
pos'd Andy fit made by the fire, of the
former fort of Concretes, there are wont
■to emerge Bodies refembling thofe
which they take for the Elements. For
not to Anticipate here what I forefee I
(hall
0~7)
fhallhave occafionto infift on, when I
come to difcourfe with Pbiloponus con-
cerning the right that fire has to pals
for the proper and Univerfal Instru-
ment of Analyfing mixt Bodies, not to
Anticipate that, I fay, if I were dif-
pos'd to wrangle, I might alledge, that
by Tbemiflim his Experiment it would
appear rather that thofc he callsEIe-
ments,are made of thofe he calls mixt
Bodies, then mix'd Bodies of the Ele-
ments. For in TbemiBiuss Analyz'd
Wood, and in other Bodies difTipated
and alter'd by the fire, it appears, and
he confeifes, that which he takes for E-
lementary Fire and Water, are made
out of the Concrete ;but it appears not
that the Concrete was made up of Fire
and Water. Nor has either He, or any
Man, for ought I know, of his perfwafi-
on, -yet prov'd that nothing can be ob-
tained1 from a Body by the fire that was
not Pre-exifient in it.
At this unexpected objection, not only
Tbemiflitit, but the reft of the company
appear 'd not a little furpriz'd ; but after
a while Pbiloponm conceiving his opini-
on, as well as that of Arijlotle, concern'd
in that Objection , You cannot fure
(fayes
(28)
( fayes he to Carneades ) propofe this
Difficulty, not to call it Cavill, other-
wife then as an Exercife of wit, and not
as laying any weight upon k. For bow
can that be feparated from a thing that
was not exiftent in it. When, for in-
stance, a Refiner mingles Gold and
Lead, and expofing this Mixture upon a
Cuppell to the violence of the fire, there-
by fcparates it into pure and refulgent
Gold and Lead ( which driven off toge-
ther with the Drofs of the Gold is thence
call'd Litktrgyrium Ami ) can any man
doubt that fees thefe two fo differing fub-
ftances feparated from the Mafs, that
they were exiftent in k before it was
committed to the fire. .
Ifhould (replies Came a fallow your
Argument to prove fomethmg,if,as Men
fee the Refiners commonly take before
hand both Lead and Gold to make the
Mafs vou fpeak of, fo. we did fee Nature
pull down a parcel! of the Element of
Fire, that is fancy 'd to be plac'dlknow
Hot how many rhoufand Leagues ofi^con*
siguous to the Orb of the Moon, and to
blend ft with a quantity of each of the
three other Elements, to compofe every
mkt Body, upon whofe Reioktion the.
Fire
(29)
Fire prefents us with Fire, and Earthy
and the reft. And let me add, philopo*
nw^ that to make ycur Reafoning co-
gent,*it muft be firft prov'd, that the fire
do's only take the Elementary Ingredi-
ents afunder, without otherwife altera
ingthem. For elfe 'tis obvious, that Bo-
dies may afford fubftances which were
not pre-exiftent in them ; as Flefh tod
Jong kept produces Magots, and old
Cheefe Mites, which 1 fuppofe you will
not affirm to be Ingredients of thofe Bo-
dies. Now that fire do s not alwayes
barely fcparate the Elementary parts,
but fome times at lcaft alter alfo the In-
gredients of Bodies, if I did not expecT:
ere long a better occafion to prove it, I
might make probable out of your very
Inftance, wherein there is nothing Ele-
mentary feparated by the great violence
of the Refiners fire : the Gold and Lead
which are the two Ingredients fepara-
ted upon the Jjtalyfis being confeffedly
yet perfectly mfxt'Bodies, and the Li-
tharge being Lead indeed 5 but fuch
Lead as is differing in confidence and
other Qualities from what h was before.
To which I muft add that I have fome-
times feen, and fo qucftionleffc h*v££*
muchoftcner, feme parcclls of Glaffe,
adhering to the Teft or Cuppel, and this
GJafs though Emergent as well as the
Gold or Litharge upon your Analyfis,
you will not I hope allow to have been a
third Ingredient of the Mafs out of
which the fire produe'd ir.
Both Philopowttnd Tbemiftius were a-
bout to reply 3 when Eleutherius appre- '
bending that the Profecution of this
Difpute would take up time, which
might be better employ d 3 thought fit
to prevent them by faying to Cameades \
You made at leaft half a Promife, when
you firft propos'd this Objection, that
you would not ( now at leaft ) infift on
it, nor indeed does k fcem to be of ab
folute necefficy to your caufc , that you
fhould. For though you fhould grant
that there are Elements, it would not
follow that there mult be precifely four.
And therefore I hope you will proceed
to acquaint us with your other and more
confiderable Objections againft The-
miftiuss Opinion, efpccially "fince there
is fo great a Difproportion in Bulke be-
twixt the Earth, Water and Air, on the
one part, and thofe little parcells of re-
fembling fubftances, that the fire fepa-
rates
(30
rates from Cexcyetes on the other part,
that 1 can fcarce think that you are feri-
i Otis, when to lofe no advantage againft
your Adverfary, youfcem to deny it to
be rational, to conclude thefe great Am-
ple Bodies to be the Elements, and not
the Products of compounded ones.
What you alledge ( replies Carne-
, odes ) of the Vaftnefs of the Earth and
[ Water, has long fince made me will-
j ing to allow them to be the greateft and
j chief Maffes of Matter to be met with
■ here below : But I think I could {hew
5 You, if You would give me leave , that
l this will prove only that the Elements,as
, You call them,are the chief Bodies that
, make up the neighbouring part of the
;1 World, but not that they are fuch In-
, gredientsas every mixtBodymuftcon-
5 lift of. ^ Bur fince You challenge me of
i fomething of a Promife, though it be
;J not an entire one, Yet 1 fball willingly
K perform it. And indeed I intended
(, not when I firft mention d this Objc&i-
K on, to infift on it at prefem againft
fhemiftius i ( as I plainly intimated
my way of propofing it ; ) bc-
m
e, ing only dc flrous to let you fee , that
j, though I difcern'dmy Advantages, yet
it *
I was willing to forego fome of them,
rather then appear a rigid Adverfary of
a Caufe fo weak, that it may with fafe-
ty be favourably dealt with. But I
muft here profefs3 and defire You to
take Notice of it., that though 1 pafs
on to another Argument, it is not be-
caufe I think this firft invalid. For You
will find in the Progrefs of our Dis-
pute, that I had fome reafonto quefti-
on the very way of Probation imploy'd
both by Peripateticks and Chymifts,
to evince the being and number of the
Elements. For that there are fuch, and
that they are wont to be fcparated by
the Analyfis made by Fire, is indeed ta-
ken for granted by both Parties , but
has not ( for ought I know ) been fo
much as plaufibly attempted to be
proved by cither. Moping then that
when wecome to that part of our De-
bate, wherein Coiifiderations relating
to this Matter are to be treated of* you
will remember what I have now faid,
and that I do rather for a while fuppofe,
then abfolutcly grant the truth of what
I have queftion'd, 1 will proceed toa-
nother Objection.
And hereupon Elmtberm having
pro-
(33)
rnis'd him not to be unmindful!, when
time fhould ferve, of what he had de-
elar'd.
I confider then (fayes C 'ay neades) in
the next place, that there are divers
Bodies out of which ihemiflius will not
, prove in hafte, that there can be fa ma-
ny Elements as four extracted by the
i; Hre. And I fhould perchance trouble
j him if I fhould ask him what Peripate-
■ tick can (hew us, ( I fay not, all the four
| Elements, for that would be too rigid
( a Qjeftion, but ) any one of them ex-
j tracted out of Gold by any degree of
Fire whatfoevet. Nor is Gold the on-
, ly Bodie in Nature that would puzzle
I an Ariftotelian^ that is no more to ana-
lyze by the Fire into Elementary Bodies,
face, for ought I have yet obferv'd,
1 both Silver and calcin'd Venetian Talck,
j and fome other Concretes, not neceflary
i here to be nam'd, are fo fixt, that to
, reduce any of them into four Heteroge-
f neous Subftanccs has hitherto prov'd a
| "Task much too hard, not only for che
d Maples of Ariflotle, butthofe of/^Z-
,i flw3 at leaft, whilft the latter have em-
ploy d only Fire to make the jinaljfis.
I The next Argument ( continues Car*
l(1 D neades )
(34)
tteades ) that .1 dial! urge againft Tb&
mifiitti-'s Opinion (hall be ifbis, That as
there are divers Bodies whofe Analyfis
by Fire cannot reduce them into fo ma-
ny Heterogeneous Subftances or Ingre-
gredients as four , fo there are others
which may be reduc'd into more, as
the Blood (and divers other parts) of
Men and other Animals , which yield
when anafyz'd five diftin& Subftances,
Phlegme, Spirit, Oyle, Salt and Earth,
as Experience has (hewn us in diftilling
Mans Blood, Harts-Horns, and divers
other Bodies that belonging to the Ani-
mal-Kingdom abound with not uneafily
fecjueftrable Salr.
The
THE
SCEPTICAL CHYMIST:
OR
CHYMICO-PHYSICAL
Doubts & Paradoxes,1
Touching the
EXPERIMENTS
WHEREBY
VULGAR SPAGYRISTS
Arc wont to Endeavour to Evince their "
lAiT, SULPHUR
AND
T O B E
The True Principles of Things,
Utimm jm tenerentur omnia, & inoferU ac confejfa
' Veritas e$et\ Nihil ex Decreth mutaremm. Nunc
VenUUm cum eis pi decent, qutrimw. Sen.
L O N D O M9
Printed for J.Cmhe, and are to be fold at the
Ship m St.fauls Church- Yard. i66u
<3$)
THE
SCEPTICAL CHYMIST.
the FirB Part.
I Am ( fayes Carnesdes ) fa unwilling
to deny Eletttherm any thing, that
though, before the reft of the Company
I am refolv'd to make good the part I
have undertaken of a Sceptick 5 yet I
fhall readily, fince you will have it fy
lay afide for a while the Perfon of an
Adverfary to thePeripatetieks and Chy-
miftsj and before I acquaint you with
my Obje&ibns againft their Opinions*
acknowledge to you what may be (whe-
ther truly or not > tollerably enough
added, in favour of a certain number ot
Principles of mixt Bodies, to that grand
and known Argument from the A»*m
of
of compound Bodies, which I may pof-
fibly hereafter be able to confute.
And that you may the more eafily
Examine, and the better Judge of what
1 have to fay, I fhall caft it into a pret-
ty number of diftincl Proportions, to
which I fhall not premife any thing ;
becaufe I take it for granted, that you
need not be advertis'd , thar much of
what I am to deliver, whether for or
againft a determinate number 'of Ingre-
dients of mix'd Bodies, may be indif-
ferently apply'd to the four Peripatctick
Elements, and the three Chymical Prin-
ciples, though divers of my Objections I
will more peculiarlfbelong gbthefe laft I
nam'd, becaufe the Chemical Hypothecs \
feeming to be much more countenanced
by Experience then the other, it will,
be expedient to infift chiefly upon
the disproving of that 5 efpecially fmce
moft of the Arguments that are im-
ploy'd againft it, may, by a little varia-
tion, be made to conclude, at leaft as
ftf ongly againft the lefs plaufvble, Ari-
flotetian Doctrine.
To proceed thentomyPrppoiuions,
I fhall begin with this. That
It
(37)
It feemS not abfurd to conceive that at the propof,
jirff ProduBion of mixt Bodies, the *•
Universal Matter whereof they among
other Parts of the Umverfe confifled,
was aftn ally divided into little Particles
of feveral fiz.es and fhapes varioufly
mov'd.
This ( fayes Carneades ) I fuppofe
you will eafily enough allow. For be-
sides that which happens in the Gene-
ration, ■ Corruption Nutrition, and
wafting of Bodies, that which we difco-
ver partly by our Microfcopes of the cx-
tream littlenelfe of even the fcarce fen-
fible parts of Concretes ; and partly
by the Chymical Refolutions o£ mixt
Bodies, anci by divers other Operations
of Spagyrical Fires upon them, feems
fufficiently to manifeit their confifting
! of parts very minute and of differing
Pigures. And that there does alfo inter-
vene a various local Motion of (uch
fmall Bodies , will fcarce be denied ;
whether we chufe to grant the Ongme
,of Concretions affigrTd by 2pfag% or
'that related by Mofes. For the farit, as
you well know, fuopofes not only an
1* jp 5 mixt
(3S)
mixt Bodies, but all others to be pro-
duct by the various and cafual occurffe
ons of Atomes, moving themfelves to
and fro by an internal Principle in the
Imgienfe or rather Infinite Vacuum.
And as for the infpird Hiftorian, He,
informing us that the great and Wile
Author of Things did not immediately
create Plants, Beafts,Birds,&c. but pro?
duc'd them out of thofe portions of the J
pre-exiftent, though created. Matter,
that he calls Water and Earth, allows
us to conceive, that the conftituent Par-
ticles whereof thefe new Concretes
were to confiit, were varioufly moved
in order to their being connected into
the Bodies they were, by their various
Coalitions and Textures, to compofe.
^ But (continues Cameades) prefuming
that the firft Proportion needs not
be longer infiftedon, I will pafs on to
the lecond, and tell you that
^f Neither is & Willie that of tbefi mi-
mte Particles divers of the fmatteft and
neighbouring ones were here and then
ajjociated into minute MaJJes or ChflerU.
and did by their Coalitions conjlitute
peat If ore of fuch little primary Concre-
tion
(19)
tions or Majfes as were not eafily difii-
l>dle into fuch Particles as- compos'd
them.
To what maybe deduc'd, in favour of
this After tion, from the Nature of the
Thing it felf, Twill add fomething out
of Experience , which though I have
not known it ufed to fuch a purpofc,
feems to me more fairly to make out
that there May be Elementary Bodies,
then the more queitionable Experiments
of Peripate ticks and Chymifts prove
that there Are fuch. I confidcr then that
Gold will mix and be colliquated not
only with Silver, Copper, Tin and Lead,
but with Antimony, Reg'tlm Martis and
many other Minerals, with which it will
compofe Bodies very differing both from
Gold, and the other Ingredients of the
refulting Concretes. And the fame Gold
will alfo by common AfoA Regis, and ( I
fpeak it knowinglv ) by divers other
Menftrmms be re -ucd into a leeming
Liquor, in fo much that the Corpufcles
of Gold will, with thofeof the Mm$n»
umy pafs through Cap-Paper and with
them alfo coagulate into a (M^
Salt. And. I have further try d, that
V 4
(4°)
with a fraall quantity of a certain Saline
Subftance I prepar'd, I can eafily enough
fublime Gold into the form of reel Cry-
ftalls of a confiderable length; and many
other waves may Gold be difguis'd, and
help to constitute Bodies of very differ-
ing Natures both from It and from one
another, and nevertheleffe be afterward
redue'd to the felf-fame Numerical,
Yellow, Fixt, Ponderous and Malleable
Gold it was before its commixture. Nor
is it only the fixedft of Metals, but the
moft fugitive, that I may employ in fa-
vour of our Propofition :'for QTfekrilver
will with divers Metals compofe an A-
mafcam, with divers Menftruums it feems
to be turn d into a Liquor, with <4p*
fonts it will be brought into either a red
or white Powder or precipitate, with
Oyl of Vitriol into a pale Yellow one,
with Sulphur it will compofe a blood-
red and volatile Cinaber, with f ome Sa-
line Bodies it will afcend in form of a
Salt which will be diiToluble in water s
with Reguhs. of Antimony and Silver I
have feen it fublim'd into a kinde of
Cryftals, with another Mixture I redue'd
it into a malleable Body, into a hard
and brittle Subftance by another : And
fome
fome there are who affirm, that by pro-
per Additaments they can reduce Quick-
fllver into Oyl, nay into Glafs, to men-
tion no more. And yet out of all thefe
exotick Compounds, we may recover
the very fame running Mercury that
was the main Ingredient of them, and
was fo difguis'd in them. NowtheRea-
fon ( proceeds Cameades ) that I have
reprefented thefe things concerning Gold
and Quickfilver, is. That it may not ap-
pear abfurd to conceive, that fuch little
primary MafTes or Clutters, as our Pro-
portion mentions, may remain undifli-
pated, notwithstanding their entring in-
to the compofition of various Concreti-
ons, fince the Corpufcle of Gold and
Mercury, though they be not primary
Concretions of the moft minute Parti-
cles of matter , but confeiTedly mixt
Bodies, are able to concurre plentifully
to the compoiltion of feveral very dif-
fering Bodies, without lofing their own
Nature or Texture, or having their coh#-
ilon violated by the divorce of their af-
fociated parts or Ingredients.
Give me leave to add ( byes Elertfe-
rm) on this occafion, to what you now
obferv'd, that as confidently ^ ^
(40
Chymifts, and other modern Innovators
ib Philofophy are wont to object againft
the Peripateticks3That from the mixture
of their four Elements there could arife
but an inconfiderable variety of com-
pound Bodies '> yet if the Aristotelians
were but half as well yers'd in the works
of Nature as they are in the Writings
of their Mafter, the propos'd Objection
would not fo calmly triumph, as for
want of Experiments they are fain to
differ it to do. For if we afligne to the
Corpufcles, whereof each Element con-
fifts, a peculiar flze and fhape, it may
eaiily enough be manifefted, That fuch
diffcringly figur'd Corpufcles may be
mingled in fuch various Proportions, and
may be connected fo many feveral wayes,
that, an almoft incredible number of va-
rioufly qualified Concretes may be com*
pos'd of them. Efpedally iince the Cor-
pufcles of one Element may barely, by
being affociated among themfelvcs,
make up little Mattes of differing fize
and figure from their conftituent parts :
and fince alfo to the ftridt union of fuch
minute Bodies there feems oftentimes
nothing requifitc, befides the bare Con^
tad of a great part cf their Surfaces.
And
(43)
And how great a variety of ¥h<tnomen&
the fame matter, without the addition of
any other ,and only feveral ways difpos^d
or contexed,is able to exhibit,may partly
appear by the multitude of differing En-
gins which by the contrivances of skilful
Mechanilians, and the dexterity of ex-
pert Workmen, may be made of Iron
alone. But in our prefent cafe being al-
io w'd to deduce compound Bodies from
four very differently qualified forts of
matter, he who (hall but confider whac
you frefhly took notice of concerning
the new Concretes refulting from the
mixture of incorporated Minerals, will
fearce doubt but that the four Elements
mannag'd by Natures Skill may afford a
multitude of differing Compounds.
I am thus far of your minde ( fayes
Carneades ) that the AriHotelUns might
with probability deduce a much greater
number of compound Bodies from the
mixture of their four Elements , than
according to their prefent Hypotbefis they
can, if inftead of vainly attempting to
deduce the variety and properties of all
mixt Bodies from the Combinations and
Temperaments of the four Element*
as, hey are ( among them ) endowd
(44)
with the four firft Qualities, they had
endeavoured to do it by the Bulk and
Figure of the fmalleit parts of thofe
fqppofed Elements. For from thefe
more Catholick and Fruitfull Accidents
of the Elementary matter may fpring a
great variety of Textures, upon whole
Account a multitude of compound Bo-
dies may very much differ from one an-,
other. And what I now obferve touch-
ing the four Per ipate tick Elements, may
be alfo applyed, mrtatis mutandis ^ ( as
they fpeak ) to the Chymical Princi-
ples. But ( to take notice of that by the
by ) both the one and the other, muft,
I fear, call in to their affiftance fomt>
thing that is not Elementary, to excite
or regulate the motion of the parts of
the matter, and difpofe them after the
manner requifite to the Conftitution of
particular Concretes. For thai other-
wife they are like to give us but a very
imperfect account of the Origine of very
many mtxt Bodies, It would, I think,
be no hard matter to perfwade you, if
k would not fpend time, and were no
Digreflion, to examine, what they are
wont to alledge of the Origine of the
textures and Qualities of mixt Bodies,
from
(45)
from a certain fubftantia) Form., whofe
Origination they leave more obfcure
than what it is ailum'd to explicate.
But to proceed to a new Propofuion.
/ (ball vot peremptorily deny, that from mofi rropot
of fucb mixt Bodies as partake either of 1 l '•
Animal or Vegetable Nature r there may
by the Help of the Fire, be aBu&Uy ob-
tained a determinate number ( whether .
Three y Four or Five3 or fewer or more )
of Subftances, worthy of differing De*
nominations.
Of the Experiments that induce me
to make this Concefiion, I am like to
haveoccafion enough to mention feveral
in the profecution of my Difcourfe. And
therefore, that I may not hereafter
be oblig'd to trouble You and my felf
with needlefs Repetitions, I fhall now
only defire you to take notice of fuch Ex-
periments, when they fhall be menti-
on d, and in your thoughts referre them
To thefe three ConcefTions I have but
this Fourth to add, That
IV.
<4<0
propof. It may likewise be granted, that thofe di~
ftinft Subftances, which Concretes gene-
rally either afford or are made up of, may
without very much Inconvenience be
calTdthe Elements or Principles oft hem,
When I faid, without very much Incon-
venience^ I had in my Thoughts that fo-
ber Admonition of Galen, Cum dere con-
fiat, de verbis non efl Litigandum* And
therefore alfo I fcruple not to fay Ele-
ments or Principles , partly becaufe the
Chymifts are wont to call the Ingredi-
ents of mixt Bodies, Principles, as the
Ari&otelians name them Elements', I
would here exclude neither. And, part-
ly, becaufe it feems doubtfull whether
the fame Ingredients may not be call'd
Principles 2 as not being compounded of
anymore primary Bodies : andElements,
in regard that all mix'd Bodies arc com-
pounded of them. But I thought it re-
quire to limit my Concetfion by prc-
mifing the words, very much, to the word
Inconvenience, becaufe that though the
Inconvenience of calling the diftinft Sub-
ftances, mentiond in the Proportion
Elements or Principlessbe not very great,
yet
(47)
yet that it is an Impropriety of Speech,
and confequently in a matter ot this
moment not to be altogether overlook'd,
You will perhaps think, as well as I, by
that time you (hall have heard the fol-
lowing part of my Difcourfe, by which
you will beft difcern what Conftru&ion
to put upon the former Proportions, and
how far they may be look'd upon, as
things that I concede as true, and how
far as things I only reprefent as fpecious
enough to be fit to be confider 'd.
And now Ehittheriw ( continues Ctr-
neades ) I muft refume the pcrfon of a
Sceptick, and as fuch, propofe fome part
of what may be either diflik't, or at lcaft
doubted of in the common Hypothecs of
theChymifts: which if I examine with
a little the more freedom, I hope I need
not defire you < a Perfon to whom I
have the Happinefle of being fo well
known ) to look upon it as fomething
more fuitable to the Employment where-
to the Company has, for this Meeting,
doom'dme; then either to my Humour
or my Cuftom.
Now though I might prefent vou ma-
ny things againft the Vulgar Chyrmcal
Opinion of the three Principles, and^te
(48)
Experiments wont to be alledg'd as De-
monftrations of it> yet thofe I ihall at
prefent offer you may be conveniently
enough comprehended in fpur Capital
•Considerations 5 touching all which I
{hall only premife this in general, That
fmcQ it is not my prefent Task fo much
to afTert an Hypothecs of my own,
as to give an Account wherefore I fu-
fpe& the Truth of that of the Chymifts,
it ought not to be expected that all my
Objections ihou Id be of the mod cogent
fort, fince it is reafon enough to Doubt
of a propos'd Opinion, that there ap-
pears no cogent Reafon for it;
To come then to the Objections them-
felves ; I confider in the firft place. That
notwithstanding what common Chy-
mifts have prov'd or taught, it may rea-.
fonably enough be Doubted, how far,
and in what fence* Fire ought to be
efteem'd the genuine and univerfal In-
ftrument of analyzing mixt Bodies.
This Doubt, you may remember, was
formerly mention'd, but fo tranfiently
difcours d of, that it will now be fit to
infift upon it 5 And manifeft that it was
not fo inconfiderately propos'd as our
Adverfaries then imagin d.
But,
(49)
But, before I enter any farther into
this Difquifition, I cannot but here take
notice, that it were to be wiih'd, our
Chymifts had clearly inform'd us what
kinde of Divifion of Bodies by Fire muft
determine the number of the Elements .•
For it is nothing near fo eafy as many
feem to think, to determine diftin&ly
the Effects of Heat, as I could eafily ma-
nifeft, i( I had leafure to fhew you how
much the Operations of Fire may be
diverflfy'd by Circumftances. But not
wholly to pafs by a matter of this Im-
portance, I will firft take notice to you,
that Guajaciim ( for Inttance ) burnt with
an open Fire in a Chimney, is fequeftred
into Afnes and Soot, whereas the fame
Wood diftill'd in a Retort does yield
far other Heterogeneities, ( to ufe the
Helmontian exprellion ) and is re(olvd
into Oyl, Spirit, Vinager, Water and
Charcoal ; the Jaft of which to be re-
duc'd into Afhes, requires the being far--
I ther calcm d then it can be in a clo(e
VeiTel : Befides having kindled Amber,
and held a clean Silver Spoon, or fome
other Concave and fmooth VeiTel over
the Smoak of its Flame, Iobfervd the
'soot into which that Fume condcnsd.
a w
(5o)
to be very differing from any thing that
I nad oblcrv d to proceed from the
ileam of Amber purpofcly ( for that is
not ufual ) diitilled per fe in clofe Vcf-
fels. Thus having, for Tryals fake, kin-
dled Camphire, and catcht the Smoak
that copioufly afcended out of the
Flame, it condcns'd into a Black and
un&uous Soot , which would not have
been guefs d by the Smell or other Pro-
perties to have proceeded from Cam-
phire : whereas having ( as I (hall other-
where more fully declare) cxpos'd a
quantity of that Fugitive Concrete to a
gentle heat in a clofe Glafs-VcfTel, h
fublim'd up without feeming to have loft
any thing of its whitenefs, or its Nature,
both which it retain^, though after-
wards I (o encreafed the Fire as to bring
it to Fufiom And, befidcs Camphire,
there are divers other Bodies ( that I
elfewhere name ) in which the heat in
clofe Yeflels is not wont to make any
feparation of Heterogeneities, but only
a comminution of Parts, thofe that rife
firft being Homogeneal with the others,
though fubdivided into fmaller Particles ■
whence Sublimations have been Ailed,
The Pefiles of the Chymijls. But not here
to
to mention what I el fe where take notice
of, concerning common Brimftone once
or twice fublim'd, that expos'd to a mo-
derate Fire in Subliming-Pots, it rifes
all into dry, and almoft taftlefs, Flow-
ers 5 Whereas being expos'd to a naked
Fire it affords itore of a Saline and
Fretting Liquor .* Not to mention this,
I fay, 1 will further obferve to you, that
as ic is confiderable in the ^//aljjis of
mixt Bodies, whether the Fire act on
them when they arc expos'd to the open
Air, or fhut up in clofe VcfTels, To is the
degree of Fire by which the Jlm'jfis is
attempted of no fmall moment. For a
milde Balneum will fever unfermented
Blood (forlnftance) butintoPhiegme
and Caput wtortwm^ the later whereof
( which I have fometimes had ) hard,
brittle, and of divers Colours, ( tranfpa-
rent almoft like Tor toife- (hell ) prefs'd
by a ^ood Fire in a Retort yields a Spirit,
an Oyl or two, and a volatile Salt, bc-
fides a Caput mortmm. It may be alfo
pertinent to our prefentDefigne, to take
notice of what happens in the making
and diftilling of Sope; for by one de-
gree of Fire the Salt, the Water and the
Ovl or Greafe, whereof that fadmous
1 P a Cofl-
(sO
Concrete is made up, being boyl'd up
together are eafily brought to mingle
and incorporate into one Mafs , bat by
another and further degree of Heat the
fame Mafs may be again divided into an
oleagenous, an aqueous, a Saline, and
an Earthy part. And fo we may obferve
that impure Silver and Lead being ex-
pos'd together to a moderate Fire, will
thereby be colliquated into one Mafs,
and mingle per minima^ as they fpeak,
whereas a much vehementer Fire will
drive or carry off the bafer Metals (I
mean the Lead, and the Copper or
other Alloy) from the Silver, though
not, for ought appears, feparate them
from one another. Belides, when a Ve-
getable abounding in fixt Salt is analy z'd
by a naked Fire, as one degree of Heat
will reduce it into Afties, ( as the Chy-
mifts themfelves teach us) fo, bvonly
a further degree of Fire, rhofe Afhes
may be vitrified and turn'd into Glaf?.
I will not ftay to examine how far a
meere Chymift might on this occafion
demand, If it be lawful for an AriBo-
telian to make Afhes, (which he miltakes
for meere Earth) pafs for an Element,
becaufc by one degree of Fire it may he
pre-
(55)
produc'd, why a Chymift may not upon
the like Principle argue, that Glafs is
one of the Elements of many Bodies,
becaufe that alfo may be obtain'd from
them, barely by the Fire ? I will not, I
fay, lofe time to examine this, but ob-
ferve, that by a Method of applying the
Fire, fuch fimilar Bodies may be obtain'd
from a Concrete, as Chymirls have not
been able to feparate 5 either by barely
burning it in an open Fire, or by barely
dialling it in clofe Veflfels. For to me it
feems very considerable, and I wonder
that men have taken fo little notice of
it, that I have not by any of the com-
mon wayes of Diftillation in clofe Vef-
fels, feen any feparation made of fuch
a volatile Salt as is afforded us by Wood,
when that is firft by an open Fire divided
into A(hes and Soot, and that Soot is at-
terwards plac'd in a ftrong Retort, and
compell'd by an urgent Fire to part with
its Spirit, Oyl and Salt; for though I
dare not peremptorily deny, that in the
Liquors of GHAJscm and other Woods
mm in Retorts after the common
manner, there may be Saline parts,
which by reafon of the Anally ^
pretend to the name of fomckinde of
E 3
(54)
volatile Salts ; yet quefticnlefs there is
a great difparity betwixt fiich Salts and
that which we have fpmetimes ohtaind
upon chefirft*Diftillation of Soot (though
for the moil; part it has not been fepa-
rated from the firitor fecond Rectifica-
tion, and fometimesnot till the third)
For we could never yet fee feparated
from Woods analyz'd only the vulgar
way in clofe veilels any volatile Salt in a
dry and Saline form, as that of Soot,
which we have often had very Cryftal-
Jine and Geometrically flgur'd. And
then,wherea§ the Saline parts of the Spi-
rits o{Guajacum,Uc. appear upon diftil-
iation fluggifh enough, the Salt of Soot
feems to be one of the moft volatile
Bodies in all Nature ; and if it be well
made will readily afcend with the milde
heat of a Furnace, warrnd only by the
fingle Wieckof a Lamp, to the top of
thehigheft Glafs VeiTels that are com-
monly made ufe of for Diftillation :
and befides all this, the tafte and fmell
of the Salt of Soot are exceeding differ-
ing from thofe of theSririts of Guaj*-
am&c. and the former not onlvfmells
and taftes much lefs like a vegetable Salt,
than like that of Ham- horn, and other
Ani-
(55)
Animal Concretes ; but in divers other
Properties feems more of Kinnc to the
Family of Animals,than to that of vege*
j table Salts,as I may elfewhcre (God per-
mitting ) have an occafion more particu-
1 lady to declare. I might likewife by fome
; other Examples manifeit,That the Chy-
miftspto have dealt clearly,cugbt to have
1 more explicitly and particularly declar'd
by what Degree of Fire, and in what
! manner of Application of it, they would
[ have us Judge a Divifion made by the
' Fire to be a true Analjfis into their
1 Principles, and the Produdions of it to
' deferve the name of E'ementary Bodies.
But it h time that I proceed to mention
the particular tteafons that incline me
J to Doubt, whether the Fire be the true
and univerfal Analyzer of mixt Bodies ;
of which Reafons what has been already
objeaed may pafs for one.
In the next place I obferve, That
rtere are fome mixt Bodies from which
it has not been vet made appear, thai
any decree of Fire can feparate either
Salt or Sulpha* or Mercury, much lei,
all he Three. The molt <***& I^"f
fofi.'d.andwhe^reintheElemncary
E 4 l c
(sO
Ingredients (if it have any) arc fo firmly
united to each other, that we fmde not
hi the operations wherein Gold is ex-
pos'd to the Fire, how violent fcevcr,
that it does difcernably fo much as lofe
of its fixedneffe or weight, fo far is if
from being diffipated into thofc Prin-
ciples., whereof one at leaft is acknow-
ledged to be Fugitive enough 5 and fo
juftly did the Spagyricall Poet fome-
wherc exclaim,
CunHd adeo miris illk compagibtu bdrent.
And I muft not omit on this occafion
to mention to you, Eleuther'm^ the me-
^ morable Experiment that 1 remember I
clAvm met with in * G4° CUvtm* who,though
Apoiog. a Lawyer by ProfcfTion, feems to have
^5o&had no fmall Curiofityand Experience
pera. in Chymical affairs : He relates then,
that having put into one fmall Earthen
VerTel an Ounce of the moft pure Gold,
and into another the like weight of pure
Silver, he plac'd them both in that part
of a Glafs-boufe Furnace wherein the
Workmen keep their Metal, (as our
EngJifti Artificers call their Liquid
Glafs) continually melted , and that
having there kept both the Gold and
the
(57)
the Silver in conftant Fufien for two
Moneths together, he afterwards took
them out or rhe Furnace and the VefTcls,
and weighing both of them again, found
that the Silver had not loft above a 12th
part of its weight, but the Gold had not
of his loft any thing at all. And though
our Author endeavours to give us of this
a Scholaftick Reafon, which 1 fuppofe
you would be as little fatisfled with, as
I was when I read it 5 yet for the mat-
ter of Fad, which will ferve our prefent
turne, he alTures us, that though it be
Grange, yet Experience it felf taught it
him to be molt true.
And though there be not perhapsany
other Body to be found fo perfectly fix d
as Gold, vet there are divers others fo
fixcl or compos'd, at leaft of fo M&h
united parts, that I have not yet obferv d
the Fire to feparate from them any one
of the Chvmifts Principles. I need not
tell vou what Complaints the more
Candid and Judicious of the Chymifts
themfelvcs are wont to make or thole
Boaflers that confidently pretend, that
thev have extraaed the Salt or Sulphur
of Ouickfilvcr, when they have dilguis d
it by Adduaments , Wherewith ltre-
1 fembles
C58>
femblcs the Concretes whofe Names are
given it ; whereas by a skilfull and rigid
Exameny it may be eaiily enough ftript of
its Difguifes, and made to appear again
in the priftineformof running Mercury,
The pretended Saltsand Sulphurs being
fo far from being Elementary parts ex-
tracted out of the Bodie of Mercurie,
that they are rather ( to borrow a terme
of the Grammarians) De- compound Bo-
dies, made up of the whole Metal and
the Menftruuni) or other Additairents
imploy'd to difguife k. And as for Sil-
ver, I never could fee any degree of Fire
make it part with any of its three Prin-
ciples. And though the Experiment
lately mentioned from Cltvem may be-
get a Sufpition that Silver may be difli-
pated by Fire, provided ft be extreamly
violent and very lafting ; yet it will not
oeceflfarily follow, that becaufe the Fire
was able at length to make the Silver
lofe a little of its weight, it was there-
fore able to diffipate it into its Principles.
For firft I might alledge that I have ob-
ferv'd little Grains of Silver to lie hid in
the fmall Cavities ( perhaps glas'd over
by a vitrirying heat) in Cm dble«, where-
in Silver has been long kept in Fufion,
whence
(59)
whence fome Goldfmiths of my Ac-
quaintance make a Benefit by grinding
inch Crucibles to powder, to recover out
of them the latent panicles of Silver.
And hence I might argue, that perhaps
Clavemwas mtitaken, and imagin'd that
Silver to have been driven away by the
Fire, that indeed lay in minute parts hid
in his Crucible, in whofe pores fo fmall
a quantity as he mift of fo ponderous
a Bodie might very well lie con-
ceal'd.
But Secondly, admitting that fomc
i parts of the Silver were driven away by
! the violence of the Fire, what proof is
i there that it was either the Salt, the Sul-
•• phur, or the Mercury of the Metal, and
i not rather a part of it homogeneous to
!i what remain'd ?For befides,tha t thcSil vcr
I that was left feeirfd not fenfibly alter d,
* which probably would have appear d,
it had fo much of any one oi its Princi-
K pies been fcparated from it :We hnde m
jj other Mineral Bodies of a lefs perma-
| nent nature than Silver, that the Fire
1 may divide them into fuch minute parts,
as to be able to carry them away with
its felf, without at all deftroywg their
Nature. Thus we fee that in the re-
fining
(6o)
fining of Silver, the Lead chat is mix'd
with it ( to carry away the Copper or
other ignoble Mineral that embafes the
Silver ) will, if it be let alone, in time
evaporate away upon the Teft 5 but if
( as is moft ufual amongft thofethat re-
fine great quantities of Metals together)
the Lead be blown off from the Silver
by Beilowes, that which would elfc
have gone away in the Form of unheed-
ed fleams, will in great part be colledted
not far from the Silver, in the Form of
a darkffh Powder or Calx, which, be-
eaufe it is blown off from Silver, they
Agrkoia callLicharge of Silver. And thus Agri-
nFoffii/"^ *n divers places informs us, when
Lib. 9. Copper, or the Oare of it is colliquatcd
Cap. 11- by the violence of the Fire with Cadmia,
the Sparks that in great multitudes do
ffy upwards do, fome of them, (tick to
the vaulted Roofs oi' the Furnaces, in
the form of little and (for the moft part)
White Bubbles, which therefore the
Greeks, and, in Imitation of them, our
Drugftcrs call Pompbolix : and others
more heavy partly adhere to the fides of
the Furnace,and partly (efpecially if the
Covers be not kept upon the Pots)fall to
the Ground, and by reafon of their Afhy
Colour
Colour as well as Weight were called
by the fame Greeks **&> which, 1 need
not tell you, in their Language fignifies
Afhes.I might add,thatl have not found
that from Venetian Talck ( I fay Vene-
tian, becaufe I have found other kinds of
that Mineral more open ) from the Lapis
OfftfraguS} ( which the Shops call Oftie-
colla ) from Mufcovia Glafs, from pure
and Fufible Sand, to mention now no
other Concretes 5 thofe of my Acquaint-
ance that have try'd have been able by
the Fire to feparate any one of the Hy-
poftatical Principles, which you will the
lefs fcruple to believe, if you confider
that Glafs may be made by the bare
Colliquation or the Salt and Earth re-
maining in the Afhcs of a burnt Plant,
and that yet common Glafs, once made,
does fo far refift the violence of the Fire,
that moft Chymifts think it a Body
more undeftroyable then Gold it felt.
For if the Artificer can fo firmly unite
fuch comparative groft Particles as thofe
of EarthandSalt that make up common
A(hes,intoaBodyindiffolablcbyFire5
why may not Nature arTouate in divers
Bodies the more minute &f*#*7
Corpufcles fbe has at hand too firmly to
[62)
let them be feparable by the Fire ? And
on this Occalion, EleuthertWy give me
leave to mention to you two or three
fleight Experiments, which will, I hope,
be found more pertinent to our prefent
Difcourfe, than at fiilt perhaps they will
appear. The firft is, that, having ( for
Tryals lake) put a quantity of that Fu-
gitive Concrete, Camphire, into a Glafs
Veffel, and plac'd it in a gentle Hear, I
found it ( not leaving bchinde, according
to my Eftimate , not (o much as one
Grain ) to fublime to the Top of the
VelTel into Flowers : which in White*
nefs, Smell, &c fcem'd not to differ
from the Camphire it felf. Another
Experiment is that at Belmont , who in
feveral places affirms. That a Coal kept
in a Glafs exactly clos'd will never be
calcnfd to Afhes, though kept never fo
long in a ftrong Fire. To countenance
which I fhall tell you this Tryal of my
own, That having fometimes diftilled
fome Woods, as particularly Box, whilft
our Caput mortuum remained in the Retort,
it continued black like Cnarcoal, though
the Retort were Earthen, and kept red-
hot in a vehement Fire $ but as foon as
ever it was brought out of the candent
Veffel
VefFel into the open Air , the burning
Coals did haftily degenerate or fall a-
funder, without the Affiftance of any
new Calcination, into pure white Afties.
And to thefe two I (ball add but this ob-
vious and known Observation, that com-
mon Sulphur (if it be pure and freed from
its Vinager ) being leafurely fublim'd in
clofe VefTels , riles into dry Flowers,
which may be prefently melted into a
Bodie of the fame Nature with that
which afforded them. Though if Brim-
ftone be burnt in the open Air it gives,
you know, a penetrating Fume, which
being caught in a Giafs"-Bell condenfes
into°hat acid Liquor called Oyl of Sul-
phur yer Cmpavam.lhc ufc I would make
of thefe Experiments collated with what
ttatciy told you but of AgricoU is this.
That even among the Bodies that are not
fixe,., there are divers of fuch a Texture,
that it will be hard to make it appear,
how the Fire, as Chymiftsare wont to
imployit,canrefoVethem into Elemen-
tary Subftances. For fome Bodies being
of fuch a Texture that the Fire can drive
them into the cooler and Ids hot pare
of the VelTels wherein they are included,
and if need be,remove them from place
(64)
to place to fly the greateft heat, more
eafily than it can divorce their Elements
(efpecialiy without the Afliftance of the
Air) we Ice that our Ghymifts cannot
Analyze them in clofe Veflels, and of
other compound Bodies the open Fire
can as little feparate the Elements. For
what can a naked Fire do to Analyze a
' mixt Bodie, if its component Principles
be fo minute, and fo ftri&Iy united, that
the Corpufcles of it need lefs heat to
carry them up, than is requifite to divide
them into their Principles. So that of
fome Bodies the Fire cannot in clofe
Veflels make any Andyfis at all , and
others will in the open Air fly away in
the Forms of Flowers or Liquors, before
the Heat can prove able to divide them
into their Principles. And this may hold,
whether the various iimilar parts of a
Concrete becombin'dby Nature cur by
Art ; For in factitious Sd Asmomaek we
finde the common and the Urinous Salts
fowell mingled, that both in the open
Fire, and in fubliming Veflels they rife
together as one Salt, which feems in fuch
Veflels irrcfoluble by Fire alone. For I
can (hew you Sd Amoniack which after
the ninth Sublimation does (till retain its
com-
(*5)
compounded Nature. And indeed I
fcarce know any one Mineral, from
which by Fire alone Chymifts are wonc
to fever any Subftance fimple enough to
defcrve the name of an Element or Prin-
dple. For though out of native Cinnaber
they diftill Qaickfilver, and though from
many of thole Stones that the Ancients
called Pyrites they fublime Brimftonc,
yet both that Quickfilver and this Sul-
phur being very olten the fame with the
common Minerals that are fold in the
Shops under thofe names , ate them-
felves too much compounded Bodies to
pafs for the Elements of fuch. And thus
much> Eleutberm, for the Second Argu-
ment that belongs to my Firft Confidc-
rarion 5 the others 1 {halt the leile infill
on, becaufe I have dwelt fo long upon
this. f .
Proceed we then in the next place to
confider, That there are divers Separa-
tions to be made by other means, which
either cannot at ail, or elfe cannot :fo
well be made by the Fire alone. When
Gold and Silver are melted into one
Mafs, it would lay a great Obligation
upon Refiners and Goldfmiths to teach
them the Art of feparaung them
r Di
(66)
bv the Fire, without the trouble and
charge , they are fain to be at to fevcf
them. Whereas they may be very eafi^
ly parted by the Aftufion of Spirit of
Nitre or Aquafortis ( which the French
therefore call Em de Depart'- ) fo like-
wife the , Metalline part of Vitriol
will not be fo cafily and conveniently
feparated from the Saline part even by
a violent Fire, as by the Affufion of cer-
tain Alkalizate Salts in a liquid Form
upon the Solution of Vitriol made in
common water. For thereby the- acid
Salt of the Vitriol, leaving the Copper
it had corroded to joyn with the added
Salts, the Metalline part will be preci-
pitated to the bottom almoft like Mud;
And that I may not givclnftances only'
in De-compeund Bodies, I will add a not
lifelefs one of another kinde. Not only
Chy mills have not been able ( for ought j
is vulgarly known ) by Fire alone to fe^
parate true Sulphur from Antimony; but
though you may findein their Books ma-
ny plaufible Precedes of Extracting ir,
vec he that (hall make as many fruitleile j
Tryals as I have done to obtain it by J
nioif of them will, I fuppofe, be cafilv
perfwaded, that the Productions of fuel
Proceffes
(67)
Procelfes arc Antimonial Sulphurs ra-
ther in Name than Nature. Buc though
Antimony fublim'd by its fclf is redue'd
but to a volatile Powder, or Antimonial
Rowers, of a compounded Nature like
the Mineral that affords them : yet I re-
member that fome years ago I lublim'd
out of Antimony a Sulphur, and that in
greater plenty then ever I faw obtain'd
from that Mineral, by a Method which
I ihall therefore acquaint you. with, be-
caufe Chymifts fecm not to have taken
notice of what Importance fuch Experi-
ments may be in the Indagation of the
Nature, and especially of the Number
of the Elements. Having then purpofc-
ly for Tryals Hike digefted eight Ounces
of good and well powder'd Antimony
with twelve Ounces of Oyl of Vitriol
in a well ftopt Glas-Vcltel for about fix
or feven Weeks 3 and having caus'd
the Mafs (grown hard and brittle) to be
diftiU'd in a Retort plac'd in Sand, with
a ftrono; Fire , we found the Antimony
to be fo opened, or alter M by the Men*-
ftruum wherewith it had been diveftcd.
That whereas crude Antimony, fore'd
up by the Fire, arifes only in Flowers,
our Antimony thus handled afforded ns
F 2 partly
partly in the Receiver, and partly in the
Neck and at the Top of the Retort,
about an Ounce" of Sulphur, yellow and
brittle like common Brimftone, and of
(o Sulphureous a fmell, that upon the
unluting the VelTels it infected the Room
with a fcarce fupportable ftink. And
this Sulphur , befides the Colour and
Smell, had the perfecT: Inflamability of
common Brimftone, and would imme-
diately kindle (at the Flame of a Can-
dle ) and burn blew like it. . And though
it feem'd that the long digeftion where-
in our Antimony and Menftrmm were
detain'd, did conduce to the better un-
locking of the Mineral,yet if you have not
the leafure to make (o long a Digeftion,
you may by incorporating with pow*
der'd Antimony a convenient Quantity
of Oyl of Vitriol, and committino-. them
immediately to Diftillation, obtain a
little Sulphur like unto the common one,
and more combuftible than perhaps you
will at firft take notice of. For I have
obferv'd, that though ( after its being
firft kindled ) the Flame would fome-
ttmes go out too foon of its felf, if the
fame Lump of Sulphur were held again
to the Flame of a Candle, it would be
re-
(&9)
rekindled and burn a pretty while, not
only after the fecond, but after the third
or fourth accenfion.You,to whom i think
I (hewed my way of difcovering fome-
thing of Sulphureous in Oyl of VitrioJ,
may perchance fufpeit, Elentberias, ei-
ther that this Subftance was feme Ve-
nereal Sulphur that lay hid in that Li-
quor, and was by this operation only re-
duced into a manifeft Body 3 or clfe that
it was a compound of the unctuous parts
of the Antimony, and the Saline ones ^
of the Vitriol, in regard that ( as dm- 0\^cv'_
tber informs us ) divers learned men var. cap.
would have Sulphur to be nothing but a 6'
mixture made in the Bowels of the
Earth of Vitriolate Spirits and a certain
corabuftible Subftance. But the Quantity
of Sulphur we obtain'd by Digeftion
was much too great to have been latent
in the Oyl of Vitriol. And that Vitrio-
late Spirits are not neceiTary to theCon-
ftitution of fuch a Sulphur as ours, I
could eafily manifeft, if I would ac-
quaint you with the feveral wayes by
which I'haveobtain'd, though not m iuch
plenty, a Sulphur of Antimony, colour d
and corabuftible like common Brun-
ftone. And though I am not now minded
(7o)
to difcovcr them, yet I fhall tell you,
that to fatisfic fome Ingenious Men,that
diitill'd Vitriolate Spirits are not necef-
fary to the obtaining of fuch a Sulphur
as we have been confidcring,! did by th6
bare diitillation of only Spirit of Nitre,
from its weight of crude Antimony fc-
parate, in a ihort time> a yellow and
very inflamable Sulphur, which, for
ought I know, deferves as much the
name of an Element, as any thing that
Chymifts are wont ro fcparate from anv
Mineral by the Fire. I could perhaps
tell you of other Operations upon Anti-
mony, whereby That may be extrafted
from ity which cannot be fore'd out of
it by the Fire 5 but I {hall rcferve them
for a fitter Opportunity, and only annex
at prefent this Height, but not imperti-
nent Experiment. That whereas 1 lately
obferved to ycu, that the Urinous and
common Salts whereof Sal Armonhck
confifts,remain'd unfever'd by the Fire in
friany fucceffive Sublimations, they may
be cafily feparated, and partly witbeur
any Fire at all , by pouring upon the Con-
crete finely powder'd, a So'ntbn of
Salt of Tartar, or of the Salt of Wood-
Aflies j for upon your diligently mixing
of
(71.)
of thefe you will finck your Nofe in-
vaded with a very foong imell of Urine,
andperhaps too your Eyes forcd opwa-
ter,by the fame fubtle and piercing Body
that produces the ftink h both thefe ef-
fefts proceeding from hence ,'that by the
Alcali'zate Salt,the Sea Salt that enter' d
the compofition of the Sal Armoniack is
mortify'd and made more fixt,and there-
by a divorce is made between it and the
volatile Urinous Salt , which being at
once fct at liberty, and put into motion,
begins prefently to fly away, and to oU
fend the Nqftrils and Eyes it meets with
by the way. And if the operation of
thefe Salts be in convenient Glafles pro-
moted by warmth, though but by that
of a Bath, the amending Steams may
eafily be caught and redue'd into a pc-ne-
trant Spint,ab3unding with a Salt,which
I have fometimes found to be fc parable
in a Cryftalline Form. I might add to
thefe Inftances, that whereas Snbbrmte,
coniiffing,asyou know,of Saits SQ»»
filver combed and carried up togcr,
bvHeat,maybeSublim'd3Iknowiot
how often, by a like decree o*^h£
withoutfuffcringanydivorceottec^-
ponent Bodies, the Mercury may feK*
. .(70
fily fevei 'd from the adhering Salts, if
the Sublimate be diftill'd from Salt of
Tartar , Quick Lime, or fuch Alcaltzatc
Bodies. But I will rather obferve to you,
EleutberiWy what divers ingenious men
have thought fomewhat ftrange; that by
fuch an Additament rhap feemsbut only
to promote the Separation, there may
be ea.fily obtained from a Concrete that
by the Fire alone is eafily divifible into
all the Elements that Vegetables arc
fuppos'd to confift of, fuch a fimilac
Subftance as differs in many refpefts
from them all, and confequently has by
many of the moft Intelligent Chymifts
been denied to be contain'd in the mixt
Body. For I know a way, and have
praftis'd it, whereby common Tartar,
without the addition of any thing that
is not perfectly a Mineral except Salt-
petre , may by one Diftillation in an
Earthen Retort be made to afford good
ftore of real Salt, readily difloluble in
water, which I found to be neither acid,
nor of the frhell of Tartar, and to be
almoft as vokrile as Spirit of Wine it
(elf, and to be indeed of fo differing a
Nature from all that is wont to be fepa-
rated by Fire from Tartar, that divers
Learned
(73)
Learned Men, with whom I difcours'd
of it, could hardly be brought to be-
Jeevc, that fo fugitive a Salt could be
afforded by Tartar, till I affor'd it them
upon my own Knowledge, And if I did
not think you apt to fufpect me to be
rather too backward than too forward
to credit or affirm unlikely things,! could
convince you by what I have yet lying
by me of that anomalous Salt.
The Fourth thing that I (hall alledge
to countenance my fir ft Consideration
is, That the Fire even when it divides a
Body into Subftances of divers Confi-
dences/does not moft commonly ana-
lyze it into Hypoftatical Principles, but
only difpofes its parts into new Textures,
and thereby produces Concretes of a new
indeed, but yet of a compound Nature.
This Argument it will bercquifite forme
to profecute fo fully hereafter,that 1 hope
you will then confefs that 'tis not for
want of Pood Proofs that I defirc leave
to fufpend my Proofs till the Series ok
my -Difcourfe {hall make h more proper
andfcafonabletopropofcthcm.
It may be further alledg'd on the be-
half of my Firft Confideration , That
feme fuch diftir.a Subftances may be ob-
tain'd
(74>
takfd from fome Concretes without
Fire, as deferve no lefs the name of
Elementary, than many that Chymifts
extort by the Violence of the Fire.
We fee that the Mamable Spirit,
or as the Chymifts efteem ir,tbe Sulphur
of Wine, may not only be feparatcd
from it by the gentle heat of a Bath,
but maybediftili'd either by the help of
the Sun-Beams, or even of a Dunghill,
being indeed of fo Fugitive a Nature,
that it is not eafy to keep it from flying
away, even without the Application of
external beat. I have likewife obferv'o!
thataVevTcl full of Urine being plac'd
in a Dunghill, the Putrefaction is wont
after fome weeks fo to open the Body,
that the parts disbanding the Saline Spi-
rit, will within no very long time, if the
Ycffcl be not ftopt, fty away of k felf 5
Infomuch that from fuch Urine I have
been able to diCtill little or nothing elfe
. than a naufcous Phlegme, inftead of the
aaiveand piercing Sale and Spirit that
it would have afforded, when firft ex-
pos'd to the Fire, if the Vtffel had been
carefully ftopt.
_, And this leads me to eonfider in the
Fiirh place, That it will be very hard to
prove,
(75)
prove, that there can no other Body or
way be given which will as well as the
Fire divide Concretes into feveral ho-
mogeneous SubitancCs, which may con-
fequcntly be call'd their Elements or
Principles, as well as thofe feparated or
produe'd by the Fire. For fince wc have
lately icen, that Nature can fuccetfefully
employ other Inftruments than the Fire
to feparate diftincl; Subftances from mixt
Bodies, how know we, but that Nature
has made, or Art may make, fome fuch
Subftancc as may be a fit Ir.ftrumcnt to
Analyze mixt Bodies , or that fome
fuch Method may be found by Humane
Induftry or Luck, by whofc means com-
pound Bodies may be refolv'd into other
Subftances, than fuch as they are wont to
be divided into by the Fire. And why
the Produces of fuch an ^mI)/is may not
as juftjybe call'd the component Prin-
ciples of the Bodies that afford them,
it will not be eafy to fhew, efpccially
ftnee I (hall hereafter make it evident,
that the Subftances which Chymifts are
wont to call the Salts, and Sulphurs, and
Mercuries of Bodies, are not fopure and
Elementary as thev pre fume, and as
their Hypothecs requires. And this may
. ' there-
(70
therefore be the more freely prefs'd up-
on the Chymifts, becaufe neither the
Paracelfims, nor the Helmontians can re-
ject it without apparent Injury to their
refpe&ive Mafters.For Helmont do's more
than once Inform his Readers., that both
Paracelfus and Himfelf were Poflfeffors
of the famous Liquor, AlkaheB^ which
for its great power in rcfolving Bodies
irrefoluble by Vulgar Fires, he fome-
wherefeems to call Ignis Gehenna. To
this Liquor he afcribes, (and that in
great part upon his own Experience )
luch wonders, that if we fuppofe them
all true, I am (o much the more a Friend
to Knowledge than to Wealth, that I
fhould think the Alkahest a nobler and
more defireable Secret than thePhilo-
fophers Stone itfclf. Of thisllniverfal
Diffolvent he relates , That having di-
gested with it for a competent time a
piece of Oaken Charcoal, k was there-
by redue'd into a couple of new and di-
itincl: Liquors, difcrtminated from each
other by their Colour and Situation, and
that the whole body of the Coal was
redue'd intothofe Liquors,both of them
feparable from his Immortal Menftruumy
which remain'd as fit for fuch Operati-
ons
(77 )
ons as before. And he moreover tells us
in divers places of his Writings, that
by this powerful, and unwearied Agent,
he could dulblve Metals, Marchaiites,
Stones, Vegetable and Animal Bodies
of what kinde foever, and even Glafs it
felf ( firft redue'd to powder,) and in a
Word, all kinds of mixt Bodies in the
World into their fevcral fimilar Sub-
ftances, without any Refidence or Caput
mortmm. And laftly, we may gather this
further from his Informations^ That tha
homogeneous Subftances obtainable from
compound Bodies by his piercing Liquor,
were oftentimes different enough both
as to Number and as to Nature, from
thofe into which the fame Bodies are
wont to be divided by common Fire.
Of which I fhall need in this place to
mention no other proof,thcn that where-
as we know that in our common Andtfis
of a mixt Body,there remains a terretirt-
al and very fixt Subilance, oftentimes af-
fociated with a Salt as fixt 5 Our Author
tells us, that by his way he could Diftill
over all Concretes without any Caput
mortwim^ and confequently could make
thofe parts of the Concrete volatile,
which in the Vulgar Jnalyps would have
been
(78)
been fixr. So tbdc i£ our Cbymifts will
not reject thefolcmn and repeated Te-
itimony of a Perfon, who cannot but be
acknowledged' for one of the greatet'l
Spagyrifts that they can boaft of, they
muff not deny that there is to be found in
Nature another Agent able to Analyze
compound Bodies Jefs violently, and
both more genuinely and more univer-
fally than the Fire. And for my own
parr, though I cannot but fay on this Oc-
caiiori what ( you know ) our Friend
Mr. Boyle is wont to fay, when he is askt
his Opinion of any ftrange Experiment ;
That He that hath feen it hath more Retfon
to beleeve it, than He that hath not , yet I
have found Helmontto faithful a Writer,
even in divers of his improbable Experi-
ments (I al waves except thatExtravagant
IteaxifcDe Magnetic a Valnemm Curatione,
which fomc of his Friends affirm to have
been firifc publifh'd by his Enemies )
that I think it fomewhat harfh to give
him the Lye, cfpecially to what he de-
livers upon his own proper Tryal. And
I have heard from very credible Eye-
witnefTes fome things, and fcen fome
others my felf, which argue fo ftrongly,
that a circulated Salt, or a Mensinmn
(fuch
(79)
( fuch as it may be ) may by being ab-
ftiaded from compound Bodies, whe-
ther Mineral , Animal , or Vegetable,
leave them more unlockt than a wary
Nararalilt would eafily beleeve, chat I
dare not confidently meafure the Power
of Nature and Art by that of the Men-
ffr;wns> and other Inftruments that emi-
nent Chymifts themfelves are as yet
wont to Empoly about the Analy-
zing of Bodies ; nor Deny that a Men-
ftruum may at leaft from this or that
particular Concrete obtain fomc appa-
rently fimilar Subltance3 differing from
any obtainable from the fame Body by
any degree or manner of Application of
the Fire. And I am the more backward
to deny peremptorily, that there may
be fuch Openers of compound Bodies,
becaufe among the Experiments that
make me fpeak thus warily, there want-
ed not fome in which it appcar'd not,
that one of the Subftances not feparable
by common Fires and M'enftruums could
retain any thing of the Salt by which
the feparation was made.
And here, EleutherW, ( %es Carnea-
des ). I fhould conclude as much of my
Difcourfc as belongs to the firft Con-,
{id era-
CSo)
fideration I propos'd, but that I forefeet
that what I have delivered will appear
liable to two fuch fpecious Objections,
that I cannot fafely proceed any further
till I have exarnin'd them.
And firft, one fort of Oppofers will
be forward to tell me. That they do not
pretend by Fire alone to feparate out 61
all compound Bodies their Hypotfatkal
Principles $ it being fufficient that the
Fire divides them into fuch, though af-
terwards they employ other Bodies to
colled the fimilar parts of the Com-
pound 5 as 'tis known, that though they
make ufe of water to collcel: the Saline
parts of Aibes from the Terreftrial
wherewith they are blended, yet it is the
Fire only that Incinerates Bodies , and
reduces the hYd part of them into the
Salt and Earth, whereof Afbes are made
up. This Objection is not, Iconfefs, m>
considerable, and I might in great part
allow of it, without granting it to make
againft me, if I would content myfelf
to anfwer, that it is not againft thofc
that make it that I have been difputing,
but againft thofe Vulgar Cbymifts, who
themfelves believe, and would fain make
others do fo, That the Fire is not only
an
(80
anuniverfal, but an adequate and fuffi-
eienc Inftrument to analyze mixt Bodies
with. For as to their Pra&ice of Extract-
ing the fix'd Salt out of Afhes by the
Affufion of Water, 'tis obvious to al-
leadge, that the Water does only af~
' fembie together the Salt the Fire had
before divided from the Earth .• as a
Sieve does not further break the Corn,
but only bring together into two diftin<5i
heaps the Flour and the Bran, whofc
Corpufcles before lay promifcuoufly
blended together in the Meal. This I fay
I might alkadge, and thereby exempt
my felf from the need of taking any
farther notice of the propos'd Objc-ai-
on. But nottolofe the Rife it may af-
ford me of Illuftrating the matter under
Confideration, I am content briefly to
confider it, as far forth as my prefent
Difquifition may be concern d in it.
Not to repeat then what has been al-
ready anfwer'd,I fay farther,that though
lam fo civil an Adverfary, that I will
allow the Chvmifts, after the Fire has
done all its work, the life of fair Water
to make their Extractions with, in fuch
cafes wherein the Water does not ce**
operate with the Fire to make the Am-
Y G bfis
(82)
Ijfis^&t fince I Grant this bur. upon Sup-
pofition that the Water does only waih
off the Saline Particles, which the Fire
Alone has Before Extricated in the
Analyz'd Body, it will not be Reafon-
able, that this ConcelTion fhould Extend
to other Liquors that may Add to what
they DhTolve, nor fo much as to other
Cafes than thole Newly Mentioned ;
Which Limitation I Delirc You would
be Pleas'd to Bear in Mind till I (hall
Anon have Occafion to make life of ir.
And This being thus Premised, 1 {hall
Proceed to Obferve, i
Firil, That Many of the Inftances I
Propos'd in the Preceding Difcourfe are
Such, that the Objection we are Con-
fidcring will not at all Reach Them. For
Fire can no more with the Afliftancc
of Water than without it Separate any
of the Three Principles , either from
Gold, Silver, Mercury, or fome Others
of the Concretes named Above.
Hence We may Inferre, That Fire
is not an Univerfal Analyzer of all Mixt
Bodies, fince of Metals and Minerals,
wherein Chymifts have moft Exercis'd
Themfelves, there Appear fcarce Any
which they are able to Aanlvze by Fire,
Hay,
(83)
Nay, from which they can Uriqueftion-
ably Separate fo much as any One of
their Hypoftatical Principles ; Which
may well Appear no fmall Difparage-
ment as well to their H)fotheps as to
their Pretentions. -
It will alfo remain True, notwith-
ftanding the Objection , That there may
be 'Other Wayes than the wonted Ana-
lysis by Fire, to Separate from a Com-
pound Body Subftances as Homogcnc-
neous as thofe that Chymifts Scruple
not to Reckon among their Tria Prima
( as fome of them, for Brevity Sake.*
call their Three Principles.)
And it Appears, That by Convenient
Additaments fuch Subftances may be
Separated by the Help of the Fire, as
could not be fo by the Fire alone : Wit-
nefs the Sulphur of Antimony.
And Laftly, I muft Reprefent, That
fince it appears too that the Fire is but
One of the Inftruments that muft be
Employ'd in the Resolution of Bodies,
We may Reafonably Challenge the Li-
berty 01 doing Two Things. For when
ever any MeriBrmm or other Addita-
ment is Employ'd, together with the
Fire to Obtain a Sulphur or a Salt from
G 2 a
(84)
a Body, We may well take the Free-
dom to Examine, whether or no That
Menfintum do barely Help to Separate
the Principle Obtained by It, or whether
there Intervene not a Coalition of the
Parts of the Body Wrought upon with
Thofe of the Menpuum^ whereby the
Produc'd Concrete may be judg'd to
Refult from the Union of Both. And it
will be farther Allowable for Us to
Confider, how far any Subftancc, Sepa-
rated by the Help of fuch Additaments,
Ought to pafs for one of the Tria Pritm
fince by One Way of Handling the fame
MixtBody it may according to the Na-
ture of the Additaments,and the Method
of Working upon it, be made to Afford
differing Subftances from thofe Obtain-
able from it bv other Addiraments, and
another Method, nav and ( as may ap-
pear by what I Formerly told You about
Tartar) Differing from any of the Sub-
itances into which a Concrete isDivill-
ble by the Fire without Additaments,
though perhaps thofe Additaments do
not, as Ingredients, enter the Compofi-
turn of the Obtained Body , but only
Diverfify the Operation of the Fire
upon the Concrete ; and though that
Con-
(85)
Concrete by the Fire alone may be Di-
vided into a Number of Differing Sub-
ftances, as Great as any ot the Chymifts
that 1 have met with teach us that of
the Elements to be. And having faid
thus much ( fayes Cameades ) to the Ob-
jection likely to be Propos'd by fame
Chymifts, I am now to Examine that
which I Forefee will be Confidently
prefs'd by Divers Peripatcticks , who,
to Prove Fire to be the true Analy zcr of
Bodies., will Plead, That it is the very
Definition of Heat given by Ari$otle>
and Generally Received, Congregare Ho-
mogenea^ & H eterogene a Segregate , to Af-
femble Things of a Refembling, and
Disjoyn tbofe of a Differing Nature.
To this I anfwer, That this EfTed is far
from being {o Effential to Hear, as 'tis
Generally Imagin'd ; for it rather Seems,
that the True and Genuine Property of
Heat is, to (ct a Moving, and thereby to
Diffociate the parts of Bodies, and Sub-
divide them into Minute Particles, with-
out regard to cheir being Homogeneous
or Heterogeneous, as is apparent in the
Boyling of Water, the DilUDatien of
Quekfilver, or the Expofing of Bodies
to the a&ion of the Fire, whofe Parts
G 3 either
(86)
cither Are not ( at lcaft in that Degree
of Heat Appear not ) Diffimilar, where
all that the Fire can do, is to Divide the
Bodv into very Minute Parts which are
of the fame Nature with one another,
and with their Totum, as their Reduction
by Condcnfation Evinces. And even
when the Fire feems molt fo Congregate
Homogenea, & Segregare Heteroqenea> it
Produces that Eflfeft but by Accident j
For the Fire does but Diflolve the Ce-
ment, or rather Shatter the Frame, or
£tru&ure that kept the Heterogeneous
Parts of Bodies together , under one
Common Form ; upon which DifTo-
lution the Component Particles of the
Mixt, being Freed and fet at Liberty,
do Naturaliy, and oftentimes without
any Operation of the Fire, Aflocidte
themfelves each with its Like, or rather
do take thofe places which their Seve-
ral Degrees of Gravity and Levity,
Fixednefs or Volatility ( cither Natural,
or Adventitious from the Impreffion of
the Fire ) Afligne them. Thus in the
Diftillation ( for Inftance ) of Man's
Blood, the Fire do's Fir ft begin ro Dif-
folve the Nexw or Cement ofthe Body;
and then the Water , bein°- the moft
a Vo-
(37)
Volatile, and Eafy to be Extracted , is
either by the Igneous Atomes , or the
Agitation they are put into by the Fire,
firit carried up, till Forfaken by what
carried it up, its Weight finks it down
into the Receiver : but all this while the
other Principles of the Concrete Remain
Unfever'd, and Require a ftrongcr De-
gree of Heat to make a Separation of its
more Fixt Elements 5 and therefore the
Fire muft be Increas'd which Carries
over the Volatile Salt and the Spirit,
they being, though Beleev'd to be Differ-
ing "Principles 5 and though Really of
Different Confiftency, yet' of an almoft
Equal Volatility. After them, as Icfs
Fugitive, comes over the Oyl, and leaves
behinde the Earth and the Ale alt > which
being of an Equal Fixedncffe, the Fire
Severs them not, for all the Definition
of "the Schools. And if into a Red-hot
Earthen or Iron Retort you caft the
Matter to be Diftill'd, You may Ob-
ferve, as I have often done , that the
Predominant Fire willGury up all the
Volatile Elements Confufcdly in one
Fume, which will afterwards take their
Places in the Receiver, either according
to the Degree of their Gravity, or ac-
& G 4 eoKtag
(88)
cording to the Exigency pf their re?
fpe&ive Textures ; the Salt Adhering,
for the moll: part, to the Sides and Top,
and the Phlegme Fattening it felf there
too in great Drops, the Oyle and Spirit
placing themfelves Under,or Above one
another, according as their Pondercuf-
nefs makes them Swim or Sink. For
'tis Obfervable, that though Oyi or Li^
quid Sulphur be one of the Elements Se-
parated by this Fiery Malyfa, yet the
Heat which Accidentally Unites the
Particles of the other Volatile Princi-
ples, has not alwayns the fame Opera-
tion on this, there being divers Bodies
which Yield Two Oyls, whereof the
One finks to the Bottom of that Spirit
on which the other Swims 5 as I can
few You in fome Oyls of the fame
Deers Blood, which are yet by Me :
Nay I can fhew you Two Oyls carefully
made of the fame Parcel of Humane
B.ood which not only Differ extreamly
m Colour but Swim upon one another
without Mixture, and if by Agitation
Confounded will of themfelves Divorce
again.
And that the Fire doth oftentimesdi-
vide Bodies, upon the account thatfome
of
(8?)
of their Parts are more Fixt, and Tome
more Volatile, how far foever either of
thefe Two may be from a pure Elemen-
tary Nature is Obvious enough, if Men
would but heed it in the Burning of
Wood, which the Fire Diflipates into
Smoake and Allies ; For not only the
latter of thefe is ConfefTedly made up
of two fuch Differing Bodies as Earth
and Salt 5 bur the Former being con-
dens'd into that Soot which adheres to
our Chimneys, Difcovers it fclf to Con-
tain both Salt andOyl, and Spirit and
Earth, ( and fomc Portion of Pblegme
too ) which being, all almoft, Equally
Volatile to that Degree of Fire which
Forces them up , ( the more Volatile
Parts Helping perhaps, as well as the
Urgency of the Fire, to carry up the
more Fixt ones, as I have often Try'd
in Dulcify'd Cokotbar> Sublim'd by Sal
Armani ack Blended with it ) are car-
ried Up together , but may afterwards
be Separated by other Degrees of Fire,
whofe orderly Gradation allowcs the
Pifparitv of their Volatilencfs to Dif-
cover it felf. Befides, if Differing Bodies
United into one Mafs be both fufficiently
Fixt, the Fire finding no Parts Volatile
enough
(9o)
enough to be Expell'd or carried up,
makes no Separation at all s as may ap-
pear by a Mixture of Colliquated Silver
and Gold 3 whofe Component Metals
may be eafily Sever'd by Aqua Fortis, or
Aqua Regis (according to the Predo-
minancy of the Silver &r the Gold )
but in the Fire alone, though vehement,
the Metals remain anfever'd, the Fire
only dividing the Body into fmaller Par-
ticles ( whofe LittlenefTe may be argu'd
from their Fluidity) in which either
the little nimble Atoms of Fire, Or its
brisk and numberlefs ftrokes upon the
Veftels, hinder Reft and Continuity,
without any Sequeftration of Elemen-
tary Principles. Moreover, the Fire fome-
times does not Separate , (o much as
Unite, Bodies of a differing Nature -y
provided they be of an almoft refcmbling
Fixednefs , and have in the Figure of
cheir Parts an Aptnefsro Coalition, as
we fee in the making of many Plaifters,
Oyntrnents, &c. And in fuch Metalline
Mixtures as that made by- Melting to-
gether two parts of clean Brafs with
one of pure Copper, of which fomc In-
genious Trades-men caft fuch curious
Patterns ( for Gold and Silver Works )
as
as I have fometimes taken great Plea-
lure to Look upon. Sometimes the Bo-
dies mingled by the Fire are Differing
enough as to Fixidity and Volatility^
and yet are (o comhin'd by the firft Ope-
ration of the Fire, that it ielf doesfcarce
afterwards Separate them, but only
.Pulverize them 5 whereof an Inftanccis
afforded us by the Common Preparati-
on of Menurm Dulcis, where the Sa-
line Particles of the Vitriol, Sea Salt,
and fometimes Nitre, Employ'd to
make the Sublimate, do fo unite them-
felves with the Mercurial Particles made
ufe of, firft to Make Sublimate, and
then to Dulcihe it, that the Saline and
Metalline Parts arife together in many
fucceffive Sublimations , as [^ they all
made but one Body. And fometimes
too the Fire does not only not Sever the
Differing Elements of a Body, but Com-
bine them fo firmly , that Nature her
fc\^- does vcrv feldom, if ever, make
Unions lefs DifToluble. For the Fire
meeting with iome Bodies exceedingly
and almeft equally Fixt, inftead of
making a Separation, makes an Union
foftria, thatitfelf, alone, is unable to
Diffolve it 5 As we fee, when an Alca-
lizate
lizatc Salt and the Terreftrial Refidue of
the Afhes are Incorporated with pure
Sand, and by Vitrification made one
permanent Body, ( I mean the courfe
or greenijfh fort of Glafs ) that mocks
the greateft Violence of the Fire, which
though able to Marry the Ingredients of
u, yet is not able to Divorce them. I
can (hew you fome pieces of Glafs which
I faw flow down from an Earthen Cru-
cible purpofely Expos'd for a good
while, with Silver in it, to a very vehe-
ment Fire. And fome that deal much
in the Fufion of Metals Informe me,
that the melting of a great part of a
Crucible into Glafs is no great Wonder
in their Furnaces. I remember, I have
Obferv'd too in the Melting of great
Quantities of Iron out ot the Oar, by
the Help of (lore of Charcoal ( for they
Affirm that Sea-Coal will not yield a
Flame ft rong enough ) that by the pro-
digious Vehemence of the Fire, Excited
by vaft Bellows ( made to play by great
Wheels turn'd about by Water ) part
of the Materials Expos'd to ir was, in-
ftead of being Analyzed, Golliquatcd,
and turned into a Dark, Solid and very
Ponderous Ghkx and that in fuch Quan-
tity
(93)
tity , that in fome places I have Teen the
very High- waves, neerfuch Iron-works,
mended with Heaps of fuch Lumps of
Gla{fe, inftead of Stones and Gravel.
And I have alfo Obferv'd, that fome
kind of Firc-ftone it Self, having been
employ 'd in Furnaces wherein it wasex-
pos'd to very ftrong and iafting Fires,
has had all its Fixt Parts fo Wrought on
by the Fire, as to be Perfe&ly Vitrifi'd,
which I have try'd by Forcing from it
Pretty large Pieces of Perfea and Tranf-
parent Glafs. And left Ycu might
think, ElentheriuS) that the Queftion'd
Definition of Heat may be Demonftra-
ted, by the Definition which is wont
to be given and Acquiefc'd in , of its
contrary Quality, Co/d, whofe proper-
ty is taught to be tarn Homogenea, quam
Heterogenea congregate 5 Give me leave
to reprefent to You, that neither is this
Definition unquestionable 3 for not to
Mention the Exceptions , which a Logi-
cimy as fuch, may Take at it, I Con-
fider that the Union of Heterogeneous
Bodies which is Suppos'cf to be the Ge-
nuine Production of Cold, is not Per-
forrn'd by every Degree of Cold. For
we fee for Inftance that in the Urine of
Healthy
(94)
Healthy Men, when the Liquor has
been Suffer'd a while to ftand, the
Cold makes a Separation of the Thin-
ner Part from the Groner, which Sub-
fides to the Bottom., and Growes O-
pacous there 5 wnereas if the Urinal
be Warme, thefe Parts readily Mingle
again, and the whole Liquor becomes
Tranfparent as before. And when, by
Glaciation, Wood, Straw, Duft, Wa-
ter, &c. are Suppos'd to be United into
one Lump of Ice, the Cold does not
Caufe any Real Union or Adunation,
( ^ I may fo Speak ) of thefe Bodies,
but only Hardening the Aqueous Parts
of the Liquor into Ice, the other Bo-
dies being Accidentally Prefent in that
Liquor are frozen up in iz, but not
Really United. And accordingly if we
Expofc a Heap of Mony Confining of
Gold, Silver and Copper Coynes, or
any other Bodies of Differing Natures,
which are Deftitute of Aqueous
Moiiture, Capable of Congelation, to
never fo intenfe a Cold, we find not
that thefe Differing Bodies are at all
thereby fo much as Compacted, much
lefs United together 5 and even in Li-
quors Themfelves we find Phenomena
which ,
which Induce us to Queftion the Defi-
nition which we are examining. If
Paracelfus his Authority were to be
look't upon as a Suiricient Proof in mat-
ters of this Nature, I might here infift
on that Procefs of his, whereby he
Teaches that the Effence of Wine may
be Sever 'd from the Phlegme aad Ig-
noble Part by the Affiftance of Con-
gelation : and becaufe much Weight
has been laid upon this Procefs, not on-
ly by Paracelfians , but other Writers,
fome of whom feem not to have per-
ns d it thcmfelves, I (hall give You the
entire Paffage in the Authors own
Words, as I lately found them in the
(ixth Book of his Archidoxis , an Extrael:
whereof I have yet about me ; and it
founds thus. Be Vino fciendum e f y f a-
tern phlegmaque ejus ejj'e Mineram^ & Vi-
nt fibffantiam ej]e corpus in quo confer-
vatiir Ejjentia, prout auri in aura latetEf-
fntia, Juxta quod PraBicam nobis ad
Memoriam pommm, ut non oblivifcamur,
ad hunc nudum: Recipe Vimm nje-
tuftifiimum & optimum quod habere po-
teriS) colore faporeque ad placitum^ hoc in
vas isitreum inhndas ut tertiam ejus par-
tem impleaty & figillo Hemetis occhfmi
in
in equina ventre menfibus quatuor^ & in
continuato calore teneatur qui non deficiat.
Quo perdtlo, Hyeme cum frigus & gelu,
maxime feviunti his per menfem expona-
tur ut congeleturi Ad hum modam fri-
gitf Vini fpiritum una cum ejus fubtfantia
frotrudit in vini centrum^ ac feparat a
phlegmate : Gongelatum abjice, quod vera
congehtum non eBfa id Spiritum cum fub-
ftantia ejje judicato. Hunc in Pelicanum
pofitum in arena digeHione mn adeo cali-
da per aliquod tempm manere fenito ; Po$-
modum eximito vini Magi^erium^ de quo
hctiti fumuS.
But I dare not Eku. lay much Weight
upon thisProcefs3bccaufcIhave found
that if it were True, it would be but fcU
dom Practicable in this Country upon
the bed: Wine : for Though this pre-
fent Winter hath been Extraordinary
Cold., yet in very Keen Frofts accom-
panied with lading Snowcs, I have not
been able in any Meafure to Freeze a thin
Vial full of Sack 5 and even with Snow
and Salt I could Freeze little more then
the Surface of it ; and I fuppofe Eleu.
that tis not every Degree of Cold that
is Capable of Congealing Liquors,
which is able to make fuch an Anakfts
it
(91)
(if I may (o call it) of them by Separa*
ting their Aqueous and Spirituous Part?;
for I have fometimcs, though not often,
frozen feverally, Red-wine, Urine and
Milk, but could not Obfcrve the expect-
ed Separation. And the Dutch- Men
that were fore'd to Winter in that Icie
Region ncer the Artick Circle, caird
Nova Zembla, although they relate, as
we (hall fee below , "that there was a
Separation of Parts made in their fro-
zen Beer about the middle of November,
yet of the Freezing of their Baek m Der
cember following they give but this Ac-
count: Tea and ourS^ck, which is fo hot,
was Frozen verj hard, fo that when we
were every Man to have his part, we were
fared to melt it in the Fire', which we fyar'd
eieryfecond tiay, about half a Phte for a
Man, wherewith we were fared to fi'sUin
ourfelves.Tn which words they imply nor,
that their Back was divided by the Froft
into differing Subftanccs3after fuch man-
ner as their Beer had been. All which
notwithstanding, Eleu. fuppofe that h
may be made to appear, that even Cold
fometimcs may Congregate Bomogenea,
er Heterogenea Segregare:arA to Manifeft
this I may tell you, 'that I did orce, p *r-
H poiclvj
(5>3)
pofely caufc to be Decoded in fair
Water a Plant abounding with Sulphu-
reous and Spirituous Parts, and having
expos'd the Decoction to a keen North-
Wind in a very Froity Night,I obferv 'd, j
that the more Aqueous Parts of it were
turn'd by the next Morning into Ice,
towards the innermoit part of which,
the more Agile and Spirituous parts,as I
then conjeetur'd, having Retreated, to
fhun as much as might be their Environ-
ing Enemy, they had there preferv'd
themfelves unfrozen in the Form of a
high colour'd Liquor, the Aqueous and
Spirituous parts having been lb fleightly
( Blended rather than ) United in the
Deco&ion, that they were eafily Sepa-
rable by fuch a Degree of Cold as would
not have been able~to have Divonrd the
Parts of Urine or Wine, which by Fer-
mentation or Daemon are wont, as
Tryalhas inform 'd me, to be more inti-
mately affociated each with other .But I
have already intimated, Eleutheriw, that
I (hall not Infift on th;s Experiment, not
only becaufe, having made iz but onceJ
maypofTibly have been miftakeninir;
butalfo ( and that principally ) becaufe
of that much more full and eminent
Expert
(99)
Experiment of the Separative Virtue of
cxtrcam Cold, that was made, againft
their Wills, by the forcmention'd Dutch
men that Winter'd in Nova Zembla i
the Relation of whofe Voyage being a
very fcarce Book, it will not be amifs
to give you that Memorable part of it
which concerns our prefent Theme, as
I caus'd the Paffage to be cxtra&ed oue
of theEngli&ed Voyage it felf.
" Gerard de Veer^ John Corneljfon and
;c Others, fent out of Amsterdam ,
cc Anno Dom. 1596. being forc'd by un-
cc feafonable Weather to Winter in No-
r. va Zembla, neer Ice-Haven 5 on the
Ct thirteenth of Oftober, Three of us
u (fa yes the Relation ) went aboard the
<c Ship , and laded a Sled with Beer;
<c but when we had laden it, thinking
c to go to our Houfe with it, fuddenly
" there arof e fuch a Winde , and fo
cc great a Storm and Cold, that we
cc were forc'd to go into the Ship again3
<c becaufe we were not able to ftay with-
out ; and we could not get the Beer
cc into the Ship again, but were fore d
" to let it (land without upon the Sled :
cc the Fourteenth , as we came out of
" the Ship, we found the Barrel of Beer
H 2 ftaiid*
(100)^
C£ ingupon the Sled, but it was faft fro*
cc zm at the Heads 5 yet by reafoii of
Cc the great Cold, the Beer that purg'd
Cc out frcze as hard upon the Side of
<c the Barrel , as if it had been glu'd
cc thereon .; and in that fort we drew
<c it to cur Houfe, and fet the Barrel an
Cc end , and drank it up ; but firil we were
Cc forc'd to melt the Beer, for there was
Cc fcarce any unfrozen Betr in the barrel;
ccbur m that thick '■ Yieft that was un-
cc fk Z;jn lay the Strength of the Beer,
tc fo that it was too ftrong to drink alone,
c: aad that which was frozen tailed like
<c Water ; and being melted we Mix's
c: one with the other, and fo drank
ccit; but it had neither Strength nor
"Tafte.
And on this Occafion I remember,
that having the laft very Sharp Winrer
purpofely try'd to Freeze, among other
Liquors, fome Beer moderately ftrong,
in Giafs VciTels, with Snow and Salt,
I obferv'd, that there came out of the
Neck a certain thick Subftance, which,
ir feems, was much better able then the
r eft of the Liquor ( that I found turn'd
into Ice ) to refill a Froft, and which j
by its Colour and confidence feem'd ma-
fcfth
Cioi)
feftly enough to be Yieft, whereat, I
contefs , I fomewhat marvail'd , be-
caufe I did not either difcerne* by tic
Taftc, or find by Enquiry, that the Beer
was at all too New to be very fit to be
Drank. I might confirm the Dutchmens
Relation,by what happened a while unce
to a necre Friend of mine, who com*
plained to me, that having Brevv'd
fome Beer or Ale for his own drinking
in Holland ( where he then dwelt )
the Kcennefs of the late bitter Winter
froze the L'rink fo as to reduce it into
fee 3 and a fmall Proportion of a very
Strong and Spirituous Liquor. But I
muft not entertain you any longer con-
cerning Cold , not onely becaufe you
may think I have but loft my way
into a Theme which does not direct-
ly belong to myprefent Undertaking ,■
but becaufe I have already cnlarg'd my
fclf too much upon the firft Confide-
ration I propos'd , though it appears
fo much a Paradox, that it fcemd to
Require that I fhould fay much to
keep it from being thought a meere
Extravagance ^ yet fince I Undertook
but to make the common Affumption
H 3 of
(xo>)
of bur Gbymifts and AriHotelUns ap-
pear Qaeltionable , I hope I have ftf
Perform'd that Task, that I may now
Proceed to my Following Confides
lions, and Infift letfe on them than I
have done on the Firft.
THE
( i«8 )
THE
SCEPTICAL CHYMIST.
The Second Part.
THe Second Confideration I De-
fire to have Notice Taken of, is
jjfbis, That it is not fo Sure, as Both
Chymiftsand Aristotelians are wont to
Think it, that every Seemingly Similar
pr DiftincT: Subftance that is Separated
ifrom a Body by the Help of the Fire,
[was Pre exiftent in it as a Principle or
IjElement of it.
That I may not make this Paradox a
[Greater then I needsmuft,! will Firft
iJBriefly Explain what the Proportion
ijmeans, before I proceed to Argue
lifor it.
And I fuppofe You will eaiily Believe
H 4 That
That I do not mean that any thin°- is
feparabje from a Body by Fire, that
was not Materially pre-exiftent in its
tor it Far Exceeds the power ofMeer-i
iy Naturall Agencs, and Confequently
of the Fire 3 "to produce anew, {o
Much as one Atomect Matter, which
they can but Modifie and Alter, not
Create; which is fo Obvious a Truth,
that aimott all Seels of Philofophers
have Deny'd the Power of producing
Matter to Second Caufes 5 and the jt-
ficurem and fome Others have Done
the Like , in Reference to their Gods
thcmfelves.
Nor docs the Propofition perempto-
rily Deny but that fome Things Ob-
tain'd by the Fire from a Mixt°Body,
may have been more then barelv Mate-
rially pre-exiftent in it, face there are
Concretes, which before tky be Ex-
pos'd to the Fire afford us fevcrai Do-
cuments of their abounding, feme with
Salt, and Others with Sulphur. For
it will ferve the prefentTurn, if it ap-
pear that diverfe things Obtain'd from
a Mixt Body expos'd to the Fire, were
not its Ingredients Before : for if this be
made to appear it, will be Rationall e-
nouzh
(ios)
mough to fufpect that Chymifts may De-
:icve themfelves, and Others, in con-
piKiing Refolutely and Univerfally,thofe
Subftanccs to be the Elementary Ingre-
dients o£ Bodies barely feparated by the
Fire, of which it yet may be Doubted
'Whether there befuchorNo 5 at leaft
1 till fome other Argument then that
idrawn from the Andyfis be Brought to
kefolve the Doubt.
That then which I Mean by the Pro-
portion I am Explaining, is. That it
may withouc Abfurdity be Doubted
whether or no the Differing Subftanccs
Obtainable from a Concrete Diflipated
py the Fire were (o Exfiftent in it in
[that Forme (at leaft as to their minute
Parts ) wherein we find them when
[the Andyfis is over, that the Fire did
only Dis-joyne and Extricate tie Cor-
[pufcles of one Principle from thofe of
the other wherewith before they were
Blended.
Having thus Explain'd my Propofiti-
[on, I fhall endeavour to do two things,
Ito prove it ; The firft of which is to {hew
Ithat fuch Subftanccs as Chymifts call
Principles May be produe'd Be novo
( as they fpeak. ) And the other is to
make
(io6)
make it probable that by the Fire we i
may Actually obtain from fome Mixt :
Bodies fuch Subftances as were not in the
Newly Expounded fence,pre-exiftent in
them.
To begin then with the Firft of thefe,
I Confider that if it be as true as 'tis
, probable, that Compounded Bodies
Differ from One Another but in the
Various Textures Refulting from the
Bignefs, Shape, Motion , and contri-
vance of their fmal parts* It will not be
Irrational! to conceive that one and the
fame parcel of the Univerfal Matter-
may by Various Alterations and Con-
textures be brought to D.ferve the
Name, fomtimcs of a Sulphureous, and
fometimes of a Terrene,or Aqueous Bo-
dy. And this I could more largely Ex-
plicate, but that our Friend Mr. Byle
has promis'd us fomething about Qua-
lities,wherein the Theme I now willing-
ly Re%n him , Will I Qieftion not
be Studioufly Enquired into. Where-
fore what I lhall now advance in fa-
vour of what I have lately Deliver'd
fhall be Deduced from Experiments
made Divers Years fince . The firft *
of which would have been much more
coa-
(io7)
fiderable,but that by fome intervening
Accidents I was Neceflitated to lofe the
belt time of the year , for a trial of
the Nature of that I defign'd j it being
about he middle of May before I was
able to begin an Experiment which
fliould have then been two moneths
old 5 but fuchasit was, it will not per-
haps be impertinent to Give You this
Narrative of it. At the time newly
Mention'd, I caus'd My Gardiner (be-
ing by Urgent Occafiohs Hinder'dfrom
being prefent my felf ) to dig out a con-
venient quantity of good Earth, and
dry it well in an Oven, to weigh it,
to put ic in an Earthen pot almoft level
with the Surface of the ground, and to
fet in it a felected feed he had before re-
ceived from me, for that purpofe, of
Squadi, which is an Indian kind of Pom-
pion , that Growes apace ; this feed
I Ordered Him to Water only with
Rain or Spring Water. I did not
( whenmyOccafions permitted me to
vifit it ) without delight behold how
faftit Grew, though unfeafonably fown 5
but the Haftning Winter Hinder'd it
from attaining any thing neer its due
and Wonted magnitude •> ( for I found
the
(io8)
the fame .Autumn 3 in my Garden^
fome of thofe planes, by Meafure, as
big about as my Middle ) and made me
order the having it taken Up ; Which
about the Middle oS. OBober was care-
fully Done by the fame Gardiner, who
a while after Tent me this account of it ;
I have Weighed the Pompion with the Stalk
and Leaves \ all which weighed three
found wanting a quartern Then I took tie
Earthy baked it at formerly, and found it
juB as much as I did atFrrft, which made
me think I had mt dry d it Sufficiently : tbe%
I put it into the Oven twice More, after
the Bread was Drawn, and' Weighed it the
Second time, but found it Shrink little or.
nothing.
But to deal Candidly with You, E-
leuthenAS , I mult not conceal from You
the Event of another Experiment of
this Kind made this prefent Summer ,
wherein the Earth feems to have been
much more Wafted -, as may appear
by the following account, Lately fent
me by the fame Gardiner, in thefe
Words. To give You an Account of your
Cucumbers , J have Gain d two Indiffe-
rent Fair Ones, the Weight of them is ten
Pound and a Halfe , the Branches with the
Roots
Roots Weighed four Pounds wanting two
Ounces 'j and when I had weighed them I
took the Earth s and b olid it in fever alf mall
Earthen Dijlxs in an Oven 5 and when 1
had fo done , / found the Earth wanted a
Pound and a halfe of what it was former'
lyi yet I was not fatispcl 3 doubting the
Earth was not dry : I put it into an Oven the
Second Time^ ( after the Bread was drawn)
and after I had taken it oat and weighed it^
I found it to be the Same Weioht : So I
Suppofe there was no Moiflure left in the
Earth. Neither do F think that the Found
and Halfe that was watting was Drawn a-
way by the Cucumber but a great part of it
in t'r.e Ordering was in Duft ( and the like )
wafted: (the Cucumbers are kept by them-
f elves , left Tou fhould fend for them. )
But yet in this Tryal, Eleutherim^ it ap-
pears that though (ome of the Earth,
or rather the diffolub-e Salt harbourd in
ir3 were waited, the main Body of the
Plant confifted of Tranfmuted Water.
And I might add, that a year after I
eaus'd the formerly mentioned Ex-
periment touching large Pompions,to
be reitcrated,with fo|;ood fucccfs,that if
my memory does not much mif-inform
me3 it did not only much furpafs any
that
(Ho)
that I made before^ but fcem'd ftrange-
ly to conclude what I am pleading for A
though ( by reafon I have unhappily loft]
the particular Account my Gardiner writ]
me up of the Circumftances ) I dare not]
infift upon them. The like Experiment I
may be as conveniently try'd with the I
feeds of any Plant, whofe growth is hafty, 1
and its fize Bulky. If Tobacco will ]
in Thefe Cold Oimates Grow well
in Earth undung'd , it would not be a-
mifs to make a Tryal with it , for 'tis an i
annual Plant, that arifes where it prof-
pers, fometimes as high as a Tali Man ;
and I have had leaves of it in my Garden
neer a Foot and a Halfe broad* But the
next time I Try this Experiment, it fhall
be with fevcral feeds of the fame fort, in
the fame pot of Earth, that fo the e-
vent may be the more Confpicuous.
But becaufe every Body has not Con-
veniency of time and place for this
Experiment neither, I made in my
Chamber, fome fhorter and more
Expeditions Tryals. I took a Top of
Spearmint , about an Inch Long ,
and put k into a good Vial full of Spring
water, fo as the upper part of the Mint
was above the neck of the Glafs, and
the
(Ill)
■the lower part Immers'd in the Water 5
[within a few Dayes this Mint began to
■(hoot forth Roots into the Water, and
■to difplay its Leaves , and afpire up-
wards 5 and 111 a fhort time it had nu-
merous Roots and Leaves, and thefe
very ftrong and fragrant of the Odour
of the Mint .* but the Heat of my Cham-
ber, as I fuppofe, kill'd the Plant when
it was grown to have a pretty thick
Stalk , which with the various and ra-
mified Roots, which it fhot into the
Water as if it had been Earth, pre-
fented in its Tranfparent Flower-pot a
Spe&acle not unpkafant to behold. The
like I try'd with fwect Marjoram ,
and I found the Experiment fucceed al-
fo, though fomewhat more flowly,with
Balme and Peniroyal, to name now no
other Plants. And oneofthcfe Vege-
tables, cheriilrd only by Water, having
jobrain'd a competent Growth, I dicf,
jfor Tryals fake, caufe to be DillilFd in
la fmall Retort , and thereby obtain'd
Jfome Phlegme, a little Empyreumati-
Jcall Spirit, a fmall Quantity of aduft
lOyl, and a Caput 'mortuum $ which ap-
pearing to be a Coal concluded it
I to confift of Salt and Earth: but
the
(H2)
the Quantity of it was fo (mall that
I forbore to Calcine it. The Water I
iis'd to nourish this Plant was not (tuft-
ed nor renewed -, and I chofe Spring-,
water rather than Rain-water, becaufe'
the latter is more difccrnably a kinde or
«*»fci«) which, though it be granted to.
be freed from grofrer Mixtures, feems
yet to Contain in it, befides the
Steams of feveral Bodies wandering in
the Air, which may be fuppoVd to im-
pregnate it , a -certain Spirituous Sub* I
ftancc, which may be Extracted out of I
it, and is by fome miftaken for the Sp rit J
of the World Corporify'd, upon what j
Grounds, and with what Probability, I J
may elfewhcre perchance, butmuftnot J
now, Difcourfe to you.
But perhaps I might have fav'd at
great part of my Labour. For I finde
that HelmsM ( an Author more consi-
derable for his Experiments than many
Learned men are pleased to think him )
having had an Opportunity to profe-
cute an Experiment much of the fame
nature with thofe I have been now
fpeakins of, for five Years together,
obtain a at the end of that time fo no-
table a Quantity of Tranfmured Water J,
that1
thatl ihould fcarce Think k fie to havS
his Experimented Mine Mention 'd to-
gether, were it not that the Length of
Time Recjuifue to this may deterr the
Ciiriofity of fome,and exceed the leafure
of Qthers$and partly, that (o Paradoxical
a Truth as tha,c which thefe Experiments
Teem to hold forth, needs to be Con-
firm'd by more Witneffes then orie$
efpecially finee the Extravagancies and
Untruths to be met within Hrtmontl
Treatife of the Magnettck Cure q£
Wounds* have made his Teftimohies
fufpe&ed in his other Writings, though
as to fome of the Unlikely matters of
facl: he delivers in them, Imightfafely
undertake to be his Compurgator. But
that Experiment of his which I Was
mentioning to YoU * he faVes* was this*
He took 200 pound of Earth dry'd in art
' Oven, and, having put it into an Eat chert
Veffel and moUten*d it withRaine wa-
ter he planted in it the Trunk of a VVil^
low tree of five pound Weight s1 this
be VVater'd , as need required* with
Rain or with DiftuTd Water ; and to
keep the Neighbouring Earth frOrri
: getting into the VelTc-11, he emplo/d
I a plate of Iron tina*d over and pef-
l forated
,(H4)
footed with many boles.. Five years be-
ing: efflux'd, he took out the Tree and
weighed* it, and ( with computing the
leaves that fell during four Autumnes)
he found it to weigh \6^t pound, and
abotu three Ounces. And Having a.-*
gain Dry'd the Earth it grew in, he
found it want of its Former Weight of
200 Pound, about a couple only of
Ounces ; fo that 164 pound of the
Roots, VVood, and Bark> which Con-
ftuuted the Tree, fcemtohave Sprung
from the.VVaten And though it ap-
pears not .tike Helmonthad the Curio^
fity to make any Andjfis of this Plant,
yet what I lately told You I did to-
Qnc of the Vegetables I nourifh'd with
Water pnh, will 1 fuppofe keeo You,
from Doubting that if he had Diftilfd
this Tree* it would have afforded him
the like DiftincT Subftances as another
Vegetable of -the fame kind. I need
fiot- Subjoyne that I had it alfo in my
thoughts. to try how Experiments to the
fame purpofe with thofe I related to :
You would fucceed in other Bodies then
Vegetables, .tecaiife importunate Avo-<
nations having hitherto hinder^ me^
ftoffl pumiij tay . Oefigri id Praaifc, t
can
(II5)
'can yet {peak but Confedurally of the
Succefs ; but the beft is, that the Expe-
riments already made and • mention d
to you need not the AffiLtance of new
Ones, to Veririe as much as my pre-
fent task makes it concern me to prove
by Experiments of this Nature.
One would fufpctf: ( fayes Ekathen-
us after his long filence) by what You
have been difcourfing, that You are noc
far from Helmonts Opinion about the O-
ngination of Compound Bodies , and
perhaps coo diilike not the Arguments
which he imployes to prove it.
, What Helmont'tan Opinion , and
what Arguments do you mean (a^kes
Cdrneades.)
What You have been Newly Dif-
courfing ( replies Eleutberim ) tells us j
that You cannot but know that this bold
and Acute Spa^yriit fcruples not to Af-
fert that all mi'xt Bodies fpring from one
Element; and that Vegetables, Ani-
mals, Marchafites, Stones3 Metalls,&c*
are Materially but fmple Water M-
guis'd into thefe Various Formes, by the
plaftiek or Formative Virtue of "their
feeds. And as for his Reafons you may
find divers of them fcatter'd' up and
I a dovvrj
down bis writings ; the confiderabl'ft
of which feem to be thefe three 5 The
Ultimate Reduction of mixt Bodies in-
to Infipid Water, the VicifTitude of
the fuppofed Elements, and the pro-
du&ijn of perfectly mixt Bodies out of
fimr)le Water. And firft he affirmes
that the Salcircuhtus Paracelfi, or his Li-
quor Alkdhejl, does adequately refolve
Plants, Animals, and Mineralls into one
Liquor or more, according to their feve-
fal inrernali Difparities of Parts ( witl>
out Caput Mortuum, or the Dcttruftion
of their feminal Virtues ; ) and that the
flkabefl being abftra&ed from thefe
Liquors in the fame weight and Virtue
wherewith it Diflolv'd them, the Li-
quors may by frequentCohobations from
chaJce or fome other idoneous matter,
be Totally deprivd of their feminal En-
dowments , and return at laft to their
tirit matter, Infipid Waters fome o-
herwayes he ptopofes here and there,
o diveft fome particular Bodies of their
borrow d (hapes and make them re.
migrate totheir firft Simplicity. The
fecond Topick whence mmont drawes
^Arguments, to prove Water to be
the Material caufeof Mixt Bodies,! told
Yon
("7)
You was this, "that the other fuppos'd
Elements may be tranfmuced into one
another. But the Experiments by him
here and there produe'd on this Occa-
fion, arefouneahe to be made and to
be judg'dof, that I (liall not infift on
them; not to mention, that if they were
granted to be true , his Inference from
them is fomewhat difputab!c;and there*
fore I (hall pafs on to tell You, That
as, in his Firit Argument, our Paradox-
ical Author endeavours to prove Wa-
ter the Sole Element of Mixt Bodies,
by their Ultimate Refolution, when
by his Mkahefti or fome other conquering ,
Agent, the Seeds have been Deftroy'd,
which Difguis'd them, or when by time
thofe feeds are Wean d or Exantlated
or unable to Ad their Parts upon the
Stage of the Univerfe any Longer: So
in his Third Argument he Endeavours to
2v'mce the fame ConcIufIon,by the confti-
'.mion of Bodies which he aliens to be
; tattling but Water Subdu'd by Seminal
/irtues. Of this he gives here and ti ere
ft his Writings Several Inftances, as to
'lants and Animals ^ bu t divers of them
/eing Difficult either to be try'd or to be
Inderftood , and others of them being
1 3 not
(us)
not altogether Unobnoxious to Except^
oris, T think you have ' fingl'd out the:
Principal and lefs . Queftionable Experi-
ment when you lately mentioned that
of the Willow Tree. And having thus,
Continues Ekiitherius , to Anfwer your,
Qaeftion, given you a Summary Ac-
count of what I am Confident You
know better then I do, I dial 1 be very
glad to receive Your Scnce of it, if the
giving it me will not too much Divert
You from the Profecution of your Dif-
courfe.
That //(replies Cameades) was not
needleflyannex'd.-for thorowiy to ex-
amine fucb an Hypothecs and fuch Ar-
guments would require lo many Con-
iterations, and Confequcntly (o much
time, that Ifhould not now 'have the
Liefure to pcrf, ft fuch a Digremon, and
much lefs to finifti my Principle Dif-
courfe .Yet thus much I (hall tell You
at preuent, that you need not fear my
Reding this Opinion for its Novelty;
fee, however the Helmontimvn^,
^ment^ their Mafte, preterit
^^CVV^ov^5^tthough"the
(up)
tigenes Laertlus and divers other Authors
fpeak of 1 batons the firft among theGV*-
cUns that made difquifitions upon nature.
And of this Thde^l Remember,?^ in- * De Na-
formes us, that he taught all things were tura De-
ar firft made of Water. And it feems 0i um*
by Plutarch and JuBin Martyr , that the
Opinion was Ancienter then he : For
they tell us that he us'd to defend his
Tene tby the Teftimony of Hemer. And a
Greek Author, (the Scholiast of Apollo^
nius ) upon thefe Words
'EgiXt* sCx*V«m yPm Jut*. -^I'gO-
The Earth of Slime wM made ,
Affirms ( out of Zeno ) that the Cbaosy
whereof all things were made, was, ac-;
cording to Hefiod^ Water; which, fet-
tling firft, became Slime, and then con-
dens'd into folid Earth. And the fame
Opinion about the Generation of Slime
feems to have beeft enter tain d by Or-
fhem^ out of whom one of the1 Antients Athena-
cites this Teftimony, goias,
1
• I
'Ex n vJkttt <\w JtpnVs
-
Of W&epSUme was made,
I 4 It
(I2P)
~Univer-fr feems alfoby what is delivered in Sttfjk
farumre- bo out of another Author jconcerning the
Sf* Thac thcy i&wifii held that ail'
divei ia things had differing Beginnings, but thac *
dewii 6l which the World was made, was)
aucem Warer. And the like Opinion has been i
Sun by fome of &e £°m* #Vd to the J
aquam. Pwnician^ from whom Thales himfelf
&> Jf unTV^ t0 haVC borrOW'd k * as m
g fj Wy he Greeks did much of their The- '
d2rae"i?$Vri& as l m aPc to think> of tk*
• Philofophy too; fince the Deviftng of the
Atomical Bypotkefis commonly afcrib'd
toLucippw and his Difciple Democritus^
is by Learned Men attributed to one
Mofchus * Phoenician. And pofliblythe
Opinion is yet antientcr than fo ; For
tis known that the Phmkim borrow'd
molt of their Learning from the Be*
*rw. And among thofe that acknow-
ledge the Books tifMofa, many have
been inchn'd to think Water to have
been the Primitive and Univerfal Mat-
W bl »*£ ng the Beginning of Gene-
fa where the Waters feem to be men-
fc uor id I as the Material Caufe, not only
of Sublunary Compounded Bodies, but
ofaythofethatmakeuptheUniverfei
whofe Component Parts did .orderly, as
(121)
it were, emerge our of that vaft Aby ffe»>
by the Opcracion of the Spirit of God,
who is faid to have been moving Him-
felf as hatching Females do (as the Ori-
ginal r\$~oc i Meracephet is faid to Im- Deute^
port, and as it feems to fignifie in one52,11'
of the two other places,wherein alone I jcr€m.
have met with it in the Hebrew Bible ) «3- *• '
upon the Face of the Waters; which
being, as may be fuppos'd, Divinely Im-
pregnated with the feeds of all things, v
were by that productive Incubation qua-
lify'd to produce them. But you, 1 prc-
fumc, Expcft that I fhould Difcourfeor"
this Matter like a Naturalift, not a Phi-
lologer. Wherefore I {hall add, to
Countenance HelmonVs Opinion , That
whereas he gives not, that I remember,
any Inftance of any Mineral Body, nor
fcarce of any Animal 3generatcd of Wa-
fer, a French Chy milt, Monfieur de Ro-
<te, has prefented his Readers an Expe-
riment, which if it were pundually fuch
as he has delivcr'd ir, is very Notable.
He then, Difcourflng of the Generation
of things according to certain Chymical
and Metaphorical Notions (which I
confefcare not to me Intelligible) fets
down, among divers Speculations not
per-
( 122)
pertinent to our Subject, the following
Narrative, which I fhall repeat to you
the fence of in Englifh, with as little
variation from the Literal fence of the
French words, as my memory will en-
able me. Having ( fayes he ) d/fcerrfd .
fstcb great Wonders by the Natural Opera-
tion of watery J would know what may be
done with it by Art Imitating Nature,
wherefore I took water which l well knew
not to be compounded, nor to be mix 'd with
my other thing than that Spirit of Life
( whereof he had fpoken before g and
mth a Heal ■Artificial, Continual and Pro-
pwtionate, I prepaid and difpofdit by the.
&bove mention d Graduations of Coagulate
*n> Congelation, and Fixation, untillitwM ■
tttrnd mto Earth , which. Earth produc d
Animals, regelates and Minerals. I tell
not vim Animals, Vegetables and Mine-
rods, for that is referv'd for another Occa-
Jm : but the- Animals did Move of them*
[elves, Eat, &c. — and by the true Ana-
tome. I made of them, I found that they:
wre corned ofmuh Sulphur, little Mer-
ely, and kfs Salt. - The Minerals be-
£4* to grow andencreafe by converting-, into
their own Nature one. part of the Earth
tfcrewo difpofd ; they were folid and: ■
heavy.
(123)
heavy. And by this truly Demonstrative
Science, namely ChymiHry, I found that
they were composed of much Salt, little Sul-
phur, and lefs Mercury.
But (fayes Cameades) I have fome
Sufpitions concerning this ftrange Rela-
tion, which make me unwilling to De-
clare an Opinion of it, unlets I were
fatisfied concerning divers Material Cir-
cumstances that our Author has lef tun-
mentioned % though as lor the Genera-
tion of Living Creatures,both Vegetable
and Senfitive, it needs not feem Incre-
dible, flnce we finde that our common
water (which indeed is often Impreg-
nated with Variety of Seminal Princi-
ples and Rudiments ) being long kept in
a quiet place will pu trifle and ftink, and
then perhaps too produce Mofs and little
Worms, or other Irifefts, according to
he nature of the Seeds that were krk-
ng in it. I mud likewife defire you to
take Notice, that as Helmont gives us no.
Inftance of the Production of Minerals
out of Water, fo the main Argument
that he employ's to prove that they and
other Bodies may be refolv'd into wa-
ter, is drawn from the Operations of
his Alkahell, and confequently cannot
be
%
( i»4>
be fatisfa&orily Examin'd by You and
Me,
Yet certainly ( fayes Eleutlxritu ) You
cannot but have fomewhat wonder'd as .
well as I, to obferve how great a fhare of
Water goes to the making up of Di-
vers Bodies 3 whofe Difguifes promife
nothing neere fo much. The Diftilla-
tron of Ecles , though it yielded me
fome Oyle, and Spirit, and Volatile Salt,
befides the C#g»t mortoum, yet were all
thefe fo difproportionate to the Phlegm
chat came from them ( and m which" at
firft theyboyl'd as in a Pot of Water)
that they feem'd to have bin nothing but
coagulated Phlegm, which does like wife
firangely abound in Vipers, though they
are eiteenfd very hot in Operation, and
will in a Convenient Aire furvive fome
dayes the fo(s of their Heads and Hearts,
fo vigorous is their Vivacity. Mans Bloud
ft fclf as Spirituous, and as Elaborate a
Liquor as 'tis reputed, does fo abound m
Phlegm, that, the other Day, Diftiiling
fome of it on purpofe to trv the Expe-
riment ( as I had formerly done in Deers
Bloud ) out of about feven Ounces and
a half of pure Bloud we drewneere fix
Ounces of Phlegm, before any of the
more
more operative Principles began to arifes
and Invite us to change the Receiver*
And to fatisfie my felt" that fome of
thefe Animall Phlegms were void e-
hough of Spirit to deferve that Name,
I would not content my felf to tafte
them only, but fruitlefly pourd on them
acid Liquors, to try if they contain'd
any Volatile Salt or Spirit, which (had
there been any there ) would probably
have difcover'd it felf by making an
Ebullition with the arfufed Liquor, And
now I mention Corrofive Spirits, I am
minded to Inforrtte you , That though
they feem to be nothing elfe but Fluid
Salts, yet they abound m Water, as
you may Obferve,if either you Entangle,
and fo Fix their Saline Part, by making
them Corrode fome idoneous Body, ot
elfe i[ you mortifie it with a contrary
Salt ; as I have very mamfeftly Ob-
fervM in the making a Mcdecine fome-
what like Helmonfs Balfanm Sdmech,
with Diftill'd Vinager inftead of Spirit
of Wine, wherewith he prepares it:
For you would fcarce Belecve ( what I
have lately Obferv'd ) that of that acid
Spirit^ the Salt of Tartar, from which
it is Diftiird, will by mortifying and rc-
•~ saining
(126)
taining the acid Salt turn into worthlefs .
Phlegm neere twenty times its weight,
before k be fo fully Impregnated as to
rob no more Diftill'd Villager of its Salt.
And though Spirit of Wine Exquifitely
teaifyd teem of all Liquors to be the
moft free from Water, it being fo Igne-
ous that it will Flame all away with-
out leaving the leaft Drop behinde
it, yet even this Fiery L;quor is by
Helmont not improbably affirm'd , in
cafe what he relates be True, to be Ma-
terially Water, under a Sulphureous
Difguife" : For, according to him, in the
making that excellent Medecine, .Para-
celfa UsBalfamm Saniech, ( which is no-
thing but Sal Tartan dulcifv'd by Diftil-
iingfromit Spirit of Wine tillthe Sale
be fufficiently glutted with its Sulphur,
and furfcr the Liquor to be drawn off,
as ftrong as it was pour'd on ) when the
Salt : of Tartar from which it is DiflilLd
hath retained, or deprived it of the Sul-
phureous parts of the Spirit of Wine3
the reft, which is incomparably the
greater part ot the Liquor, will remi-
grate into Phlegm. I added that Claufe
[ In cafe what he Relates he True ] becaufe
I have not as yet fufficiently try'd it my
Mi
(127)
felf. But not only fomething of Expe^
iiment keeps me from thinking it, as
many Chymifts do, abfurd, ( though i
have, as well as they, in vain try'd it with
ordinary Salt of Tartar: ) but befides
that Belmont often Relates it, and draws
Confequences from it ; A Perfon noted
for his SobernciTe and Skill in Spagyrical
Preparations, having been askt by me,
VVhcthcr the Experiment might not be
made to fuceeed, if the Salt and Spirit
were prepar'd according to a way (bit-
able to my Principles, he affirm'd to me*
that he had that way I propos'd made'
Belmont's Experiment fuceeed very well*
without adding any thing to the Salt
and Spirit. But our way is neither fhort
nor Eafiei
b I have indeed ( fayes CarneAclesJ fome*-
times wonder'd to fee how much
Phlegme may be obtained from Bodies
by the tire .But concerning that Phlegme
1 may anon have Occaffon to note fome-
thing<jwhich I therefore (hall notnow an-
ticipate.; But to return to the Opinion
of ThaJes, and of Behnont.l confidcry
that fuppofmg the AJkahek could re-
duce all Bodies into water, yet whether
that water, becaufe infipid, mult be Ele-
mentary
<«8)
mentary, may not grotindlefly be doubt-
ed i Fori remember the Candid and
Eloquent Petm Laxyemforgius in his
Notes upon Salas Aphorifmes affirmes*
that he faw art inlipid Men$ruum thar ■
was a powerfull Diffolvenr , and
(if my Memory do not much mif-informe
me ) could diflblve Gold. And the water
which may be Drawn from Quickfilvcr
without Addition, though it be almoft
Taftlcfs, You will I believe think of a
differing Nature from fimple Watery
cfpecially if you Digeft in it Appropri-*
•ated Mineralls. To which I {hall add
but this , that this Consideration may
be further extended* For I fee no Ne-
cerTity to conceive that the Water men^
tion'd in the Beginning of Gene/is ,
as the Univerfal Matter, was fimple and
Elementary Water s fince though we
{h^uld Suppofe it to have been an A-
gitatcd Congeries or Heap confiding
of a great Variety of Seminal Princi-
ples and Rudiments, and of other Cor^
pufcles fit to be fubdu'd andvFafbion'd
by them., it might yet be a Body Fluid
like Water, in cafe the Corpufcles ic
was made up of, were by their Creator
made fmall enough, and put into fuch an
acluall
■aftuall Motion as might make them
Glide along one another. And as we no\V
fay, the Sea eonfifts of Water, not-
withftanding the Saline, Terreftrial, and
other Bodies mingl'd with it, ) fuch a
Liquor may well enough be called Wal-
ter, becaufc that was the greateft of the
known Bodies whereunto it was like 5
Though, that a Body may be Fluid e~
nough to appear a Liquor, and yet con*
tain Corpufcles of a very differing Na-
ture, You will eafily believe, if You but
expofe a good Quantity of Vitriol in
a itron^ Veftel to a Competent Fire*
For although it contains both Aqueous*
Earthy, Saline, Sulphureous, and Metal-
line Corpufcles , yet the whole Mafs
will at firft be Fluid like water5 and
boylelike afeething pot,
I might eafily ( Continues Carmades )
enlarge my felf on fuch Confederations*
'd I were Now Oblig'd to give You my
Judgment of the Thdeftan , and Hel*
rnontian^ Hypotheft. But Whether or no
we conclude that all things were at firft
Generated of Water, I may Deduce
from what I have try'd Concerning the
Growth of Vegetables, nourifli'd with
water3all that I now propos'd to my Self
IC or
(130)
or need at prefent to prove, "namely that
Salt, Spirit, Earth, and ev'n Oyl ( though
that be thought of all Bodies the moffe
oppofite to Water) may be produc'd out
of Water , andconfequently that a Chy-
mical Principle as well as a Peripatetick
Element, may ( infome cafes ) be Gene-
rated anew,or obtain'd from fuch a parcel
of Matter as was not endow'd with the
form of fuch aprinciple orElement before.
And having thus, Bleittherim^ Evinc'd
that 'tis poffible that fuch Subftances as
thofe that Chymifts are wont to call
their Tria Prim* , may be Generated,
anew : I muft next Endeavour to make
it Probable, that the Operation of the
Fire does Actually ( fometimes) not on-
ly divide Compounded Bodies into fmal
Parts, but Compound thofe Parts after
a new Manner; whence Confequent-
ly, for ought we Know, there may E-
merge as well Saline and Sulphureous
Subftances, as Bodies of other Textures.
And perhaps it will aflift us in our En-
quiry after the Effeas of the Operations
of the Eire upon other Bodies, to Con-
fider a little, what it does to thofe Mix-
tures which being Produaions of the
Art of Man, We beft know the Corn-
pofitktfi
Oil)
pofition of. Yoii may then be pleas'd
to take Notice that though Sope is
made up by the Sope^Boylers of Oyle
or Greafc, and Salt, and Water Di-
ligently Incorporate! together, yet if
You expofe the Mafs they Conltnute
to. a Graduall Fire in a Retort , You
£hall then indeed make a Separation*
but not of the fame Subftances that
were United into Sope, but of others
of a Diftant and yet not an Elemcnta*
ry Nature, and efpeci'ally of an Oyle
very lharp and Faetd s and of a very
Differing Quality from that which was
Employ'd to make the Sope : (q if you
Mingle in a due Proportion , Sal Ar-
momac} with Quick- Lime , and Diftill
them by Degrees of Fire, You iliall not
Divide the Sal Armoniack from the
Qiick-Lime, though the one be a Vola-
tile, and the other a Fix d Subftance 3
but that which will afcend will be a Spi-
rit much more Fugitive, Penetrant* and
ftinking, then Sal Armoniack h and there
will remain with the Quick-Lime all or
very near all the Sea Salt that concurred
to make up the Sal Armoniack 5 con-
cerning which Sea Salt I (hall, to fatisfie
ou how well it was United to the,
& % Lime
d3*>
Lime, informe You, that I have by ma-
king the Fire at length very Vehement
caus'd both the Ingredients to melt in
the Retort it felf into one Mafs and
fuch Manes arc apt to Relent in the
Moift Air. If it be here Objected, that
thefe Inftances are taken from factiti-
ous Concretes which are more Com-
pounded thenthofe which Nature pro-
ducesjl (hall reply 3that befides that I have
Mention'd therri as much to Illuftrate
what I propos'd, as to prove it, it will be
Difficult to Evince that Nature her felf
does not make Decompound Bodies, I
mean mingle together fuch mixt Bodies
as arc already Compounded of Ele-
mentary, or rather of more fimple ones.
For Vitriol ( for Inftance ) though I
have fometimes taken it out of Minerall
Earths, where Nature had without any
afliftancc of Art prepared it to my Hand,
is really , though Chymtfts are pleas'd
to reckon it among Salts, a De-com-
pounded Body Confiding ( as I (hall
have occafion to declare anon ) of a
Terreftriall Subftancc, of a Metal,
and alfo of at Ieaft one Saline Body, of
aPc,cakarand n°t Elementary Nature.
And we fee alfo in Animals , that their
blood
(i33;
blood may be compos'd of Divers
very Differing Mixt Bodies, fince we
find it obferv'd that divers Sea-Fowle taft
rank of the Full on which they ordina-
rily feed 5 and Hipocrates himfelf Ob«»
ferves, that a Child may be purg'd by
the Milke of the Nurfe, if (he have ta-
ken Elatermm 5 which argues that the
purging Corpufcles of the Medicament
Concurr to make up the Milke of the
Nurfe ; and that white Liquor is gene-
rally by Phyfitians fuppos'd to be but
blanch'dand alter'd Blood. And I re-
member I have obferv'd, not farr from
the j£Ij>s, that at a certain time of the
Year the Butter of that Country was
very Offenfive toftrangers,by rcaion ot
the rank taft of a certain Herb, whereon
the Cows were then wont plentifully
to feed. But ( proceeds Cartseades ) to
give you Inftances of another kind, to
fhew that things may be obtain'd by
the Fire from a Mixt Body that were
not Pre-exiftent in it, let Me Remind
You, that from many Vegetables there
may without any Addition be Obtain'd
Glafs, a Body, which I prefume You
will not fay was Pre-exiftent in ky but
product by the Fire. To which I (hall
K2 add
d34)
add but this one Example more, namely
that by a certain Artificial way of hand-
ling Quicktilver, You may without
Addition feparate from it at ieaft a 5th.
or 4th.part of a clear Liquor,which with
an Ordinary Peripatetick would pafs
for Water, and which a Vulgar Chy-
mift would not fcruple to call Pnlegme,
and which, for ought 1 have yet feen or
heard, is not reducible into Mercury a-
gain , and Confcquently is more then a
JXguife of it. NoWbciidcs that divers
Cbymiits will not allow Mercury to
have any or at leaft any Confiderable
Quantity of either of the Ignoble In-
gredients, Earth and Water 5 Befides
this, I fay, the great Ponderoufnefs of
Qdckfilver makes it very unlikely that it
can have fo much Water in it as may
be thus obtain'dfrom it3fince Mercury
weighs 12 or 14 times as much as wa-
ter of the fame Bulk. Nav for a fur-
ther Confirmation of this' Argument,
I will add this Strange Relation, that
two Friends of mine, the one a Phy-
fitian , and the other a Mathematician,
and both of them Perfonsof unfufpetfed
Credit, have Solemnly affured me , that
^ttermanyTryals they made, to reduce
Mercury
Mercury into Water, in Order to a Phi-
lofophicall Work, upon Gold ( which
yet, by.the way, I know prov'd Unfuc-
cesfull ) they did once by divers Coho-
bations reduce a pound of Quckfilver
into almoila pound of Water, and this
without the Addition of any other Sub-
ftance , but only by prening the Mer-
cury by a Skillfully Manag'd Fire in pur-
pofely contriv'd Veffels. But of thefe
Experiments our Friend (fayes Came-
ades, pointing at the Regifter of this
Dialogue) will perhaps give You a
more Particular Account then it is ne-
ceuary for me to do ; Since what I have
now faid may fufficiently tw'mcey that
the Fire may fometimes as well alter
Bodies as divide them , and by it we
may obtain from a Mixt Body what
was not Pre-exiftent in it. And how
are we fure that in no other Body
what we call Phlegme is barely fe-
parated, not Produce! by the A&ion of
the Fire ; Since fo many other Mixt
Bodies are of a much lefs Conftant,
;and more alterable Nature, then Mer-
cury 3 by many Tricks it is wont to put
upon Chymifts , and by the Experi-
ments I told You of, about an hour
K 4 flncc,
(ISO
fincc, Appears to be. But becaufe I
(hall ere long have Occafion to refume
into Consideration the Power of the
fire to produce new Concretes, I Ml
Tjo longer infift on this Argument at
prefent ; only I muft mind You, that' if
You will not dis-bdieve Helmonts Rela-
tions, You muft confefs that the Trti
Ixima are neither ingenerable nor incor-
ruptible Subftances 5 finceby his Jlka-
Mfomeof them may be produe'd of
Bodies that were before of another De*
nominations and by the fame powerful!
MenHrum all of themmayberedue'd
into infipid Water.
Here Cwneades was about to pafs on
to his Third Consideration, when Eleii-
themts being defirous to hear what he
could fay ro clear his iecond General
Confideratioh from being repugnant to
what he fcem'd to think the true Theory
of Miftion , prevented him by telling
kv* fomewhat wonder, Carxeades,
that You, who are info many Points un-
laushed with the Peripatetick Opinion
touching the Elements and Mixt Bodies,
inould alfo feemaverfe to that Notion
touching the manner of Miftion, where-
ffl the Chymifts ( though perhaps with-
out
(137)
out knowing that they do fo ) agree with
moft of the Ancient Philosophers that
preceded Ariftotle, and that for Reafons
fo conliderable, that divers Modern Na-
turalifts and Phyfitians, in other things
unfavourable enough to the Spagyrifts,
do in this cafe fide with them againft the
common Opinion of the Schools. If you
ihould ask me ( continues Ehutherm )
what Reafons I mean ? I fhould partly
by the Writings of Semertm and other
learned Men, and partly by my own
Thoughts, be fupply'd with more, then
'twere at prefent proper for me to In-
fill largely on. And therefore I fhall
mention only, and that brielv, three or
four.Of thefe , I {hall take the Firft from
the ftate of the Controverfie it felf, and
the genuine Notion of Million, which
though much intricated by the School-
men, I take in fhort to be this. Ariftotle,
atleaft as many of his Interpreters ex-
pound him, and as indeed he Teaches in
fome places, where he profelTedly Dif-
fents from the Anticnts, declares Milli-
on to be fuch a mutual Penetration, and
perfect Union of the mingl'd Elements,
that there is no Portion of the mixt Bo-
dy, how Minute foever, which does not
contain
( 14°)
contain All, and Every of the Four Ele-
ments, or in which, if you pleafe, all
the Elements are not. And I remember,
chat he reprehends the Miftion taught :
by the Ancients, as too Height or grofs,
for this Reafon, that Bodies mixt ac-
cording to their Hypothe(isy though they
appear jfo to humane Eyes, would not j
appear ftich to the acute Eyes of a Lynxy
whofe perfe&er Sight would difcerne
the Elements, if they were no otherwife
mingled, than as his PredecefTors would
have it, to be but Blended, not United ;
whereas the Antients, though they did
not all Agree about what kind of Bodies
were Mixt, yet they did almoftunani-
moufly hold, that in a compounded Bo-
die, though the MifcibilUy whether Ele-
ments, Principles, or whatever they
pleas'd to call them, were aflociated in
fuch fmall Parts, and with fo much Ex-
a&nefs, that there was no fenfible Part \
of the Mafs but feem'd to be of the fame i
Nature with the reft , and with the
whole ; Yet as to the Atomes, or other \
Infenfible Parcels of Matter, whereof
each of the Mi 'fcih ilia confifted, they re-
tained each of them its own Nature,being i
but by Apportion or Jkxrta-Pofition uni- i
ted
(HO
ted with the reft into one Bodie. So that
although by virtue of this compofitioa
the mixt Body did perhaps obtain Di-
vers new Qualities, yetftill the Ingre-
dients that Compounded it, retaining
their own Nature, were by the De-
ftru&ion of the Compptum feparable
from each other, the minute Parts di(-
ingag^d from thofe of a differing Na-
ture, and affociatcd with thofe of their
own fort returning to be again, Fire,
Earth, or Water, as they were before
they cbanc d to be Ingredients o£ that
Compofitum. This may be explain'd
( Continues Eletitkevks, ) by a piece of
Cloathmade of white and black threds
interwoven, wherein though the whole
piece appear neither white nor black*
but of a refulting Colour, that is gray 9
yet each of the white and black threds
that compofc it, remains what it was
before, as would appear if the threds
were pull'd afunder,and forted each Co-
lour by it fdf. This ( purfues Eleutherm)
being, as I underftand it, the State of
the Controverlle, and the AriHotelians
after their Matter Commonly Defi-
ning, that Mtftion is Mtfcibilium alter ala-
rum ttr,ioy that feems to comport much
better
(14°)
better with the Opinion of the Chy-
mifts, then with that of their Adverfa-
ries, fince according to that as the new-
ly mentioned Example declares, there
is but a Juxta-po&tion of feparable Cor-
pufcles, retaining each its own Nature,
whereas according to the Ari^otelianSy
when what they are pleas'd to call a
mixt Body refults from the Concourfe
of the Elements , the Mifcibili* can*
not foproperlybefaidtobe Altcr'd, as
Deftroy'd, fmce there is no Part in the
mixt Body, how fmall foever, that can
be calfd either Fir, or Air, or Water,
or Earth.
Nor indeed can I well underftand,how
Bodies can be jningl'd other wayes then j
as I have declar'd, or at leaft how they j
can be mingfd, as our Peripatetieks ;
would have k. For whereas Arifietle \
tells us, that i^ a Drop of Wine be j
put into ten thoufand Meafures of Wa- ;
ter, the Wine being Overpower'd by j
fo Vaft a Quantity of Water will be j
turn'd into it, he (peaks to my Appre<-
henfion, very improbably ■> For though \
One fhould add to that Quantity of
Water as many Drops of Wine as
would a Thoufand times exceed it all;,
jet
( 141 )
yet by his Rule the whole Liquor (honld
not be a Crama, a Mixture of Wine and
Water, wherein the Wine would be
Predominant, but Water only ; Since
the Wine being added but by a Drop
at a time would ftill Fall into nothing
but Water, and Confequently would
be tum'd into it. And if this would
hold in Metals too, 'twere a rare fe-
cretfor Goldfmiths, and Refiners ;Por
by melting a Mafs of Gold, or Silver*
and by but calling into it Leader An-
timony, Grain after Grain, they might
at pleafure,within a reafonable Compafs
of time, turn what Quantity they de-
fire , of the ignoble into the Noble Me-
talls. And indeed fince a Pint of wine,
and a pint of water, amount to about
a Quart of Liquor, it feems manifeft
to fenfe, that thefe Bodies doe not
Totally Penetrate one another, as one
would have it ; but that each retains its
own Dimenflons; and Confequently,
that they are by being Mingl'd only di-
vided into minute Bodies, that do but
touch one another with their Surfaces,
as do the Grains, of Wheat, R^e, Bar-
ley, &c. in aheap of feverall iorts of
Corn t And unlefs we fay , that as
when
(x44)
when one meafure of wheat , for In*
ftance, is Blended with a hundred mea*
fures of Barley, there happens only a
Jitxta-po&tion and Superficial Contact
betwixt the Grains of wheats and as
many or thereabouts of the Grains of
Barley. So when a Drop of wine is
mingrd with a great deal of water,
there is but an Apportion of fo many
Vinous Corpufcles to a Correfpondent
Number of Aqueous ones, Unlefs I fay
this be faid , I fee not how that Ab-
furdity will be avoyded, whercunto the
Stokdl Notion of million ( namely by
•"»#»»', or Confufion ) was Liable, ac-
cording to which the leaft Body may
be co -extended with the greateft : Since
in a mixt Body wherein before the Ele-
ments were Mingl'd there was, for In-
ftance, but one pound of water to ten
thoufand of Earth , yet according to
them there muft not be the leaft part
of that Compound , that Confided not
as well of Earth, as water. But I in-
fift. Perhaps, too long ( fayes Eleathe-
rim ) upon the proofs afforded me by
the Nature of Miftion : Wherefore I
will but name Two or Three other Ar-
guments 5 whereof the firft (hall be,
that
(M5)
that according to Ariftotle himfelf,the
motion of a mixt Body followes
the Nature of the Predominant Ele-
ment, as thofe wherein the Earth pre*
vails , tend towards the Centre of heavy
Bodies. And fincemany things make
it Evident, that in divers Mixt Bodies
the Elementary Qualities are as well
A&ive, though not altogether fo much
fo as in the Elements themfelves , it
feems not reafonable to deny the adtual
Exigence of the Elements in thofe Bo-
dies wherein they Operate.
To which I fhall add this Convin-
cing Argument, that Experience mani-
fefts, and Ariftotle ConfelTes it, that the
Mlfcibilia may be again feparated from
a mixt Body, as is Obvious in the Chy-
mical Refolutions of Plants and Ani-
malls, which could not be unlefs they
did actually retain their formes in it .-
For fmce, according to Ariffotie, and I
think according to truth, there is but
one common Mafs of all things, which
he has been pleas d to call Materia Pri-
ma ; And fince 'tis not therefore the Mat-
ter but the Forme that Conftituces
land Difcriminates Things, to fay that
' the Elements remain not in a Mixt Bo-
dy,
(i44>
dy , according to their Formes, but ao
cording to their Matter* is not to fay that
they remain there at all ; Since although
thole Portions of Matter were Earth and
water,SccJbefore theyconcurr'dj yet the
refulting Body being once Conftituted,
may as well be faid to be fimple as any
of the Elements, the Matter being con-
fefledly of the fame Nature in all Bo-
dies, and the Elementary Formes being
according to this Hwothefis periffrd and
aboltfh'd.
And laftly, and if we will Confute
Chymical Experiments, we (hall find
the Advantages of the Chymical Do-
ctrine above the Peripatetick Title little
lefs then Palpable.For in that Operation
that Refiners call Quattation, which
they employ to purine Gold, although
three parts of Silver be fo exquifitely
mingl'd by Fufion with a fourth Part of
Gold ( whence the Operation is De-
nominated ) that the refulting Mafs ac-
quires fevcrall new Qualities, by virtue
of the Compofltion , and that there
is fcarce any fenfible part of it that is
notCompos'd of both the mctalls; Yet
if You caft this mixture into Aqua For-
th s the Silver will be diffolvd in the
Mm*
(»45>
Menflrum, and the Gold like a dark ot
black Powder will fall to the Bottom
of it , and either Body may be again
reduc'd intofuch a Metal as it was be-
fore,which ftiews; that it retain'd its Na*
ture, notwithstanding its being mixt per
Minima with the other : We likewife
fee, that though one part of pure Silver
be mingled with eight or ten Parts* ot
more, of Lead, yet the Fire will upon
the Cuppel eafily and perfectly feparate
them again. And that which I would
have you peculiarly Confidcr on this Oc-
cafion is , that not only in Chymicall
Anatomies there is a Separation made
of the Elementary Ingredients, but that
fome Mixt Bodies afford a very much
greater Quantity of this or that Ele-
ment or Principle than of another ; as
we fee, that Turpentine and Amber
yield much more Oyl and Sulphur than
they do Water, whereas Wine, which
is confefs'd to be a perfectly mixt Bodie,
yields but a little Inflamable Spirit, or
Sulphur, and not much more Earth 5
but affords a vaft proportion of Phlegm
ot water : which could not be, if as the
,1?eripateticks fuppofe* every, even of
lfJ he minuteft Particles, were of the fame
L Na-
I
nature with the whole,and confequently
did contain both Earth and Water, and
Aire, and Fire s Wherefore as to what
uirifiotle principally 3 and almoft only
Objects, that unlefs his Opinion be ad-
mitted, there would be no true and per-
fect Miftion, but onely Aggregates or
Heaps ofcontiguousCorpufcles, which5
though the Eye of Man cannot difccrne,
yet the Eye of a Lynx might perceive
not to be of the fame Nature with one
another and with their Totum, as the
Nature of Million requires , if: he do
not beg the Queftion,and make Miftion
toconfift in what other Naturalifts deny
to be requifite to it, yet He at leaft ob-
jects That as a great Inconvenience
which I cannot take for fuch, till he
have brought as Confiderable Argu-
ments as I have propos'd to prove the
contrary, to evince that Nature makes
other Millions than fuch as I have al-
lowed, wherein the MifcibiUa are re-
duc'd into minute Parts, and United
as farrasfenfe can difcerne : which if
You will not grant to be fufficicnt for a
true Miftion, he muft have the fame
Qiarrel with Nature her felf, as with his
Where*
C 147)
Wherefore ( Continues Ehutherlm )
I cannot but fomewhat marvail that Car*
nt&des fhould oppofe the Doctrine of
the Cbymift in a Particular, wherein
they do as well agree with his old Mt-
ftrefs, Nature, as difTent from his old
Adverfary, Ariftotle.
I muft not ( replies Ctrneades ) engage
myfelf at prefenc to examine thorowly
the Controveriies concerning Million :
And if there were no third thing , but
that I were reduc'd to embrace abfo-
lutely and unrefervedly either the Opini-
on of Aristotle , or that of the Philofo-
phers that went before him, I fhould
look upon the latter, which the Chy-
miftshavc adopted, as the more defen-
fible Opinion: But becaufe differing in
the Opinions about the Elements from
both Parties, I think I can take a middle
Courfe, and Difcourfe to you of Million
after a way that does neither perfectly
agree, nor perfectly difagrec with ei-
ther, as I will not peremptorily define,
whether there be not Cafes wherein
fome Tb^nomem of Million feem to fa-
vour the Opinion that the ChymiuVPa-
tronsborrow'dof the Antients, I (hall
only endeavour to fhew You that there
L % are
(148)
arc fotne cafes which may keep the
Doubt, which makes up my fecond Ge-
neral Consideration from being unrea-
fonablc.
I (hall then freely acknowledge to
You ( fayes Carneades ) that 1 am not o-
ver-well fatisfi'd with the Doctrine that
is afcribed to Ariftotle> concerning Mi-
llion , efpccially fince it teaches that
the four Elements may again be fepara-
ted from the mixt Body ; whereas if
they continued not in it, it would not
be fo much a Separation as a Producti-
on. And I think the Ancient Philofo-
phers that Preceded JtriHotle^nd Chy-
rnifts who have fince receiv'd the fame
Opinion , do fpeak of this matter more
intelligibly, if not more probably, then
the Peripateticks ; but though they
fpeak Congruoufly enough, to their be-
lieving, that there are a certain Number
of Primogeneal Bodies, by whofe Con-
courfe all thofe we call Mixts are Ge-
nerated, and which in the Definition
of mixt Bodies do barely part company,
and recede from one another, juft fuch
as they were when they came together,
yet I, who meet with very few Opini-
ons that lean entirely Acquiefce in 3
muft
(i45>>>
muftconfefs to You that I am inclin'd
to dififer not only from the Aristotelians,
but from the old Philofophers and the
Chymifts, about the Nature of Miftion:
And if You will give me leave, I (hall
Briefly propofe to you my prefent No-
tion of it, provided you will look up-
on it, not fo much as an Aflertion as an
Hypotbefis 5 in talking of which I do not
now pretend to propofe and debate the
whole Doctrine of Miftion, but to fhew
that 'tis not Improbable, that fometimes
mingl'd fubftancesmay be fo ttricHyu-
nited, that it doth not by the ufuall O-
perattons of the Fire, by which Chy-
mifts are wont to fuppofe themfelves
to have made the Analjfes of mixt Bo-
dies, Efficiently appear , that in fuch
Bodies the Mifcibilia that concurr'd
to make them up do each of them re-
tain its own peculiar Nature ; and by
the Spagyrifls Fires may be more eafily
extricated and Recover'd, than A1-.
ter'd, either by a Change of Texture in
the Parts of the fame Ingredient, or by
an Aftbciation with fome parts of ano-
ther Ingredient more ftri& than was that
of the parts of this or that Mifcibilc a-*
mong themfelves. At tbefe words Ele».
h I having
( 15°)
having prefs'd him to do what he pro-
posd,and promis'd to. do what he defir'd;
I confider then ( refumes Carneades )
that , not to mention thofe improper
Kinds of million, wherein Homogene-
ous Bodies are joyn'd, as when Water
is mLigi'd with water ,or two Veffels full
of the lame kind of Wine with one ano-
ther, the million I am now to Difcpurfe
of feems. Generally fpeaking, to be but
an Union per Minima of any two or
more Bodies of differing Denominati-
ons ; as when Afhes and Sand afe Colli-
quated into Glafsor Antimony, and Iron
into Reguhs MartiSyQi Wine and Water
are mingl'd, and Sugar is diiTolv'd in the
Mixture. Now in this general notion of
Million it does not appear clearly com-
prehended,that the Mifeihilia or Ingre-
dients do in their fmall Parts fo retain
their Nature and remain diftincl: in the
Compound, that they may thence by
the Fire be again taken afunder : For
though I deny not that in fome Mi-
llions of certain permanent Bodies this
Recovery of the fame Ingredients may
be made, yet I am not convine'd that
it will hold in all or even in mofr,or that
it is neceffarily deducible from Chy-
rnicall
micall Experiments, and the true No-
tion of Miftion. To explain this a little,
I affume, that Bodies may be mingl'd,
and that very durably , that are not E-
lementary or refolv'd into Elements or
Principles that they may be mingl'd 5
as is evident in the Regains of Colli-
quated Antimony, and Iron newly
mention'd ; and in Gold Coyne, which
Ms fo many ages;wherein generally the
Gold is alloy'd by the mixture of a quan-
tity, greater or leffer,(in our Mints they
ufe about a 12th. part ) of either filver,
or Copper, or both. Ncxt,l confider,
that there being but one Univerfal mat-
ter ^ of things, as 'tis known that the
Arifioteliam themfelves acknowledge,
who call it Materia Prima ( about
which neverthelefs I like not ail their
Opinions , ) the Portions of this matter
feem to differ from One Another, but
ifl certain Qualities or Accidents, fewer
or more; upon whofe Account the
Corporeal Subftance they belong to
receives its Denomination , and is re-
ferr'd to this or that particular fort of
Bodies 5 fo that if it come to lofc,orbe
deprtv'd of thofe Qualities, though ic
ceafes not to be a Body , yet it ceafes
L4 from
(I$2)
from being that kind of Body as a Plant,
qr Animal, or Red, Green , Sweet ,
Sowre , or the like. I contukr that it
very often happens that the fmali
parts of Bodies cohere together but by
immediate ContacT: and Reft ; and that
however, there are few Bodies whofe
minute Parts ttickfoclofe together, to
what eaufe foever their Combination be
afcrib'd, but that it is poflible to meet
with fome other Body , whofe fmali
Parts may get between them , and fo
dis- joyn them 5 or may be fitted to co*
here more ftrongly with fome of them,
then thofefomedo with the reft; or at
leaft may be combin'd fo clckly with
them , as that neither the Fire , nor
the other ufual Inftruments of Chymi-
cal Anatomies will feparate them.
Thefe things being premise, I will not
peremptorily deny, but that there may
be fome Clufters of Particles, wherein
the Particles are fo minute , and the
Coherence fo ftri&,orborh, that when
Bodies of Differing Denominations,
and confifting of fuch durable Clufters,
happen to be mingpd , though the
Compound Body made up of them
fmy be very Differing from either of
the
(*53)
the Ingredients, yet each of the little
Maffes or Clufters may fo retain its own
Nature, as j^be again feparable, fuch
as it was before. As when Gold and
Silver being melted Together in a Due
Proportion ( for in every Proportion ,
the Refiners will tell Ycu that the Ex-
periment will not (ueceed ) Aqua Fortis
will diffolve the Silver, and leave the
Gold untouch^ by which means, as you
lately noted, both the Me tails may be
recover'd from the mixed Mafs. But
( Continues Carneades ) there are other
Clufters wherein the Particles flick not
fo clofe together , but that they may
meet with Corpufcles of another De-
nomination , which are difpos'd to be
more clofely United with fome of them,
then they were among themfelves.And in
fuch cafe,two thus combining Corpufcles
lofing that Shape, or Size, or Motion, or
other Accident , upon whofe Account
they were endownd with fuch a Deter-
minate Quality or Nature, each of them
really ceafes to be a C^orpufcle of the
| fame Denomination it was before ; and
ifrom the Coalition of thefe there may
emerge a new Body, as really one, as
cither of the Corpufcles was before
they
(154)
they were mingl'd, or, if you pleafe.
Confounded .- Since this Concretion is
really endow'd with its own Diftinft qua-
lities, and can no more by the Fire, or
any other known way of Analjfis^ be di-
vided again into the Corpufcles that at
firft concurr'd to make it, than either of
them could by the fame means be fub-
divided into other Particles. But ( fayes
Eleutherm ) to make this more intelligi-
ble by particular examples jlf you diifolve
Copper in Aqua Foytis , or Spirit of
Nitre, ( for I remember not which
I us'd, nor do I think it much Material)
i You may by Cryftalizing the Solution
J Obtain a goodly Vitriol; which though
| by Virtue of the Compofuion it have
;manifeftly diverfe Qualities, not to be
met with in either of the Ingredients,
yet k feems that the Nitrous Spi-
rits, or at leaft many of them, may in
this Compounded Mais retain their for-
mer Nature; for having for tryal fake
DifthTd this Vitrioll Spirit, there came
over ftore of Red Fumes, which by
that Colour, by their peculiar ftiake,
and by their Sournefs, manifefted them-
felves to be, Nitrous Spirits ; and that
the remaining Calx continu'd Copper,
(155)
I fuppofe you'l eafily belccve. But if
you dilfolve Minium^ which is but Lead
Powder d by the Fire , in good Spirit
of Vinager,and Cryftalize the Solution,
you fball not only have a Saccharine
Salt exceedingly differing from both its
Ingredients 5 but the Union of fome
Parts of the Menhrtmm with fome of
thofe of the Metal is fo itri6t, that
the Spirit of Vinager feems tobe,as fucb,
deftroy'd , fince the Saline Corpufcles
have quite loft that acidity , upon whofe
Account the Liquor was call'd Spirit of
Vinager $ nor can anyfuch Acid Parts
as were put to the Minium be Sepa-
rated by any known way from the Sae-
tPArum Saturm refulting from them
both 5 for not only there is no Sowr-
nefs at all, but an admirable Sweetnefs
to, be tafted in the Concretion 3 and not
only I found, not that Spirit of Wine,!
which otherwife will immediately hifsj
when mingl'd with ftrong Spirit of Vi-j
nager, would hifs being pour'd upon
Saccharum Saturm, wherein yet the A-
cid Salt of Vinager, did it Survive, may
feem to be concentrated 5 but upon the
Diftillarion of Suchamm Saturni by its
Self I found indeed a Liquor very Pe-
netrant
(15*)
netrant,butnotat all Acid, and differ-
ing as well in fmell and other Qualities,
as in taft,from the Spirit of Vinager,
which likewife feem'd to have left Tome 1
of its Parts very firmly united to the
Caput Mortmimy which though of a Lea-
den Nature was in fmell, Colour, Sec.
differing from Minium 5 which brings
into my mind, that though two Pow-
ders, the one Blew , and the other
Yellow, may appear a Green mixture,
without either of them lofing its own
Colour, as a good Microfcope has fome-
times informed me ;yet having mingPd
Minium and Sal Armoniack in a requi-
re Proportion, and expos'd them in a
Glafs Veffel to the Fire, the whole.
Mafs became White, and the Red Cor-
pufcles were deftroy'd ; for though the
Calcined Lead was feparable from the
Salt, yet you'l eafily beleeve it did not
part from it in the Forme of a Red
Powder, fuch as was the Minium ,
when it was put to the Sal Armoniack.
Heave it alfo to be confider'd, whether
in Blood, and divers other Bodies, it be
probable, that each of the Corpufcles
that concurr to make a Compound
Body doch, though fome of them in
fame
(157)
fome Cafes may, retain its own Nature
in it, fo that Chymfts may Extricate
each fort of them from ail the "others ,
wherewith it concurr'd to make a Body
ef one Denomination.
I know there may be a Diftinclion be-
twixt Matter Immanent^ when the ma-
terial Parts remain and retain their own
Nature in the things materiated, as
fome of the Schoolmen fpeak,(in which
fence Wood, Stones and Lime are the
matter of aHoufe,)and Tranfient ywhich
in the materiated thing is fo alter 'd, as
to receive a new Forme , without being
capable of re-admitting again the Old.
In which fence the Friends of this Di-
itin&ion fay, that Chyle is the matter of
Blood, and Blood that of a Humane Bo-
dy, of all whofe Parts 'tis prefum'd to
be the Aliment. I know alfo that it
may be faid , that of material Princi-
ples, fome are common to all mixt Bo-
dies, as M sloths four Elements, or
the Ghymifts Tria Prima ; others Pe*
culiar, which belong to this or that fort
of Bodies ; as Butter and a kind of whey
may be faid to be the Proper Principles
of Cream : and I deny not , but that
tfiefe Dittin&ions may in fome Cafes
be
foe of Ufe ; but partly by what I have*
(aid already, and partly by what I am.
to fay, You may cafiiy enough guefs m
what fence I admit them, and difcerne
that in fuch a fence they will either il-
luftrate fome of my Opinions, or at
leaft will not overthrow any of them.
To profecute then what I was fayin^
before, I will add to this purpofe, That
fince the Major part of Chyrnifts Cre-
dit, what thofe they call Philofophers
affirme of their Stone, I may repre*
fent to them, that though when Com-
mon Gold and Lead are mingled To-
gether, the Lead may be fever d almoft
un-alter'd from the Gold j yet ii inftead
of Gold a Tantillum of the Red Elixir
be mingled with the Saturn , their
Union will be fo indiflbluble in the per-
fect Gold that will be produe'd by it>
that there is no known, nor perhaps no
poflible way of feparating the diffused
Elixir from the fixed Lead, but they
both Conftitute a moft permanent Body,
wherein the Saturne feems to have
quite loft its Properties that made it be
calFd Lead, and to have been rather
tranfmuted by the £/w/>,then barely af-
fociated to it. So that it feems not al-
wayes
(*59)
wayes necefTary, rhat the Bodies that
are put together per m>mmay Gaoald each
retain its own Nature 5 So as when the
Mafs it Self is diffrpated by the Fire, to
be more difpos'd to re- appear in its
Priftine Forme, then in any new one,
whfch by a ftri&er affociation of its
Parts with thofe of fome of the other
Ingredients of the Compofimmy then
with one another, it may have acqui-
red.
And if it be obje&ed,that unlefs the
Hypothecs I oppofe be admitted} in fuch
Cafes as I have propofed there would
not be an Union but a Deftruc1:ion of
mingled Bodies, which feems all one
as to fay, that of fuch Bodies there is
no million at all $ I anfwer, that though
the Subftances that are mingl'd remain,
only their Accidents are Deftroy'd, and
though we may with tollerable Con-
gruity call them Mifcibiliay becaufe
they are Diitinct Bodies before they are
put together, however afterwards they
are fo Confounded that I fhould ra-
ther call them Concretions, or Refus-
ing Bodies , than mixt ones; and though^
perhaps, fome other and better Account
may be proposed, upon which the name
of
(itf©)
©f million may remain 5 yet i£ what 1
have faid be thought Reafon,! fhall not
wrangle about Words, though 1 think it
fitter to alter a Terme of Art , then re-
ject a new Truth, becaufe it fuits not
Ivith it. If it be alfo Obje&ed that this
Motion of mine, concerning mixtion ,
though it may be allow'd, when Bo-
dies already Compounded are put to be
mingl'd, yet it is not applicable to thofe
mixtions that are immediately made of
the Elements, or Principles themfelvesj
I Anfwer in the firft place, that I here
Confider the Nature of mixtion fome-
whatmore Generally, then the Chy-
mifts, who yet cannot deny that there
are oftentimes Mixtures, and thofe very
durable ones, made of Bodies that are
not Elementary. And in the next
place, that though it maybe probably
pretended that in thofe Mixtures that
are made immediately o( the Bodies
that are call'd Principles or Elements ,
the mingl'd Ingredients may better re-
tain their own Nature in the Com-
pounded Mafs, and be more eafily fe-
parated from thence , yet, befides that
it may be doubted,whether there be any
fuch Primary Bodies, I fee not why the
reafon
teafonl alleadg'd, of the defiry (Stiblli ty
of the Ingredients of Bodies in General j
may not iometimes be Applicable to Salt
Sulphur or Mercury , 'till it be fhewn
upon what account we are to believe
them Priviledged. And however, (if
you pleafe but to recall to mind, to what
purpofe I told you at Firft, I meant td
TpeakofMiftionatthis Time ) you will
perhaps allow that what I have hitherto
DifcoUrfcd about it may not only give
fome Light to the Nature of it in general
( especially when I {hall have an Oppor-
tunity to Declare to you my thoughts ori
thatfubjecl: more fully) but may oil
fome Occafions alfobe Serviceable to
me in the Infuing Part of this Difcourfe*
But, to look Dack Now to that part!
of our Difcourfe, whence this Excurfioil
concerning Miftion has fo long diverted
Us, though we there Deduc'd, from the
differing Subftana s obtained . from a
Plant nourifhed only with Water, and
from fome other things, that it was not
neceilary that nature lliould alwaies
compound a Body at firft of all fuch dif-
fering bodies as the fire could aftc rwards
make it afford y yet this is not all that
maybe colle&ed from thofe Expert
M ments.
(Uz)
merits. For from them there fcernsal-
fo Deducible Something, that Subverts,
an other Foundation of the Chymical
Doctrine. For .fmce that ( as we have
ken ) out of fair Water alone, not only
Spirit ,buc Oyle, and Salt, and Earth
may be Produced ; It will follow.
that Salt and Sulphur are not Primo-
geneal Bodies, and principles, fince I
they are every Day made out of plain J
Water by the texture which the
Seed or Seminal principle of plants]
puss it into. And this would notper-4
haps feemfo ftrange, if through pride,
or negligence, W7c were not Wont
to Overlook the Obvious and Faraw
liar Workings of Nature i For if We
confider what flight Qualities they I
are that fcrve to denominate one of I
thcTria Prima, We ftmll find that]
Nature do's frequently enough work I
as great Alterations in divers parcells I
of matter: For to be readily diflbluble !
In water, is enough to make the bo- i
dy that is fo, paffe fbra Salr. And yet
Kee not why from a new fhuflingand |
Difpofition of the Component Particles
of a body, it (1/ould be much harder for
Nature to compofe a body diflbluble in
Water
( rf»
Water, of a portion of Water that was
not To before,then of the Liquid fubitanee
of an Egg, which will eafilv mix with
Water, to produce by the bare warmth
•ofa hatching Hen, Membrans, Feathers,
Tendons, and other parts, that are not
difloluble in Water as that Liquid Sub-
■ftance was ; Nor is die Hardnefs and
•Brittlenefs of Salt more difficult for
Nature to introduce into fuch a yielding
body as Water, then k is for her to
make the Bones ofa Ch'ck out of the
tender Subltance of the Liquors of an
Egg. *But inftead ot profecuting this con*
{"deration, as I eafily might, I will pro-
ceed, as foon as I have taken notice of
an objection that lies., in my Way. Fori
eafily fore fee it will be alledged, that
the above mentioned Examples are all
taken from Plants,and Animals,in whom
the Matter is Faihioned by the Plaitkk
power of the feed, or fomething analo-
gous thereunto. Whereas the Fire
do's not a&like any of the Seminal
Principles, but deftroyes them all,when
they come within its Reach. But to
this Ifhall need at prefentto make but
thiseafy Anfwcr, That whether it be
a Seminal Principle, or any other which
M 2 fafhions
(l*4>
fashions that Matter after tbofe vari-^
ous manners I have mentioned to You,
yet 'tis Evident, that either by the Pla-
feck principle Alone, or that and Heat
Together, or by fome Other caufe capa-
ble to con tex the matter, it is yet pof-
fible that the matter may be Anew
contriv'd into fuch Bodies. And 'tis on-
ly for the Poffibility of this that I am
how contending.
The
THE
SCEPTICAL CHYMIST.'
The Third Part.
WHat I have hitherto Difcours3d3
EleutheriuS^ ( fayes his Friend to
Him ) hasj I prefume, {hew'n You, that
a Confidering Man may very welj
queftion the Truth of thofe very Sup-
portions which Chymifts as well as
Peripateticks, without proving, take for
granted $ and upon which Depends the
Validity of the Inferences they draw
from their Experiments. Wherefore
having difpach't that, which though a
Chymift Perhaps will not, yet I do,
look upon as the moft Important, as
well as Difficult, part of my Task, it
will now be Seafonable for me t;o pro-
M l ceed
am
ccedtothe Confideration of the Expe-
riments thcmfelves, wherein they are
wont fomuch to Triumph and Glory*
And tftp fe will the rather deferve a fe-
rious Examination, becaufe thofe that
Alledge them are wont to do it vtfith
{o much Confidence and Oftentation5
that they have hitherto impos'd upon
almoft all Perfo'ns, without excepting
Philofophers and Phyfrtians themfelveSj
who have read their Books, or heard
them talk. For fome learned Men
have -been content rather to beleeve
what they fo boldly Affirm, then be at
the trouble and charge, to try whether
or no it be True. Others again, who
have Curiofiry enough to Examine
the Truth of what is Averr'd, want
Skill and Opportunity to do what they
Defire. And the Generality even of
Learned Men , feeing the Chymifts
( not contenting thernfelves with the
Schools to amufe the World with
empty words) Adually Pcrforrrfd di-
vers ftrange things, and, among thofe
Refolvc Compound Bodies into feveral
Subftences not known by former Phi-
lofophers to be contain'd. in them :
Wen I fay , feeing thefe Things, and
Hearing
(i*7>
Hearing with what Confidence Chy-
miits Averr the Subftances Obtain'd
from Compound Bodies by the Fire
to be the True Elements, or, ( as they
fpeak ) Hypoftaticall Principles of them,
are forward to think it but lull; as well
as Modeft, that according to the Logi-
cians Rule, the Skillfull ArtiHs fhould
be Credited in their own Art ; Efpe-
cially when thofe things vyhofe Nature
they fo Confidently take upon them
to teach others are not only Producti-
ons of their own Skill, but fuch as o-
thers Know not elfe what to make
of.
But though ( Continues Cameades)
the Chymifts have been able upon feme;
or other of the mention'd Hcouhts, not
only to Delight but Amaze, and al-
moft to bewitch even Learned Men 5
yet fuch as You and I, who are not
unpra&is'd in the Trade, muflnotfuf-
fer our Selves to be impos'd upon by
hard Names,or bold After tions;nor to be
dazl'dby that Light which {hould but
affift us to difcenuhings the more clear-
Jy. It is one thing to be able to help Na-
ture to produce things, and another
thing to Underftand well the Nature
M4 of
(i*8)
of the things produc'd. As we fee t
thit many Perfons that cm beget Ch'i-
dren, are for all that as Ignorant of the
Number and .Nature 'of the parts, es-
pecially the internal ones, that Conftt-
tuce a Childs ?Body, as they that never
were Parents. Nor do I Doubt, but
youl excufe me, if as I thank the Chy-
inifts for the things their Analtfis fhews
me, fo I take the Liberty to confider
how many, and what they are, without
being aftonifh'd at them; as if, whofoe-
ver hath Skill enough to (hew men
fome new thing of his own making,
had the Right to make them believe
whatsoever he pleafes to tell them con-
rrrntncT Ic
ccrnmg it.
Wherefore I will now proceed to
my Third General Confideration a
which is. That it does not appear, that
Three is precisely and Univerfally the
Number of the Diftinft Subftances or
Elements , wherein to mixt Bodies are
refoluble by the Fire ; I mean that 'tis
not prov'd by Cbyniifo, that all the
Compound Bodies, which are granted
to be ptrfeftly mixt, are upon their
Chymical Aaalyfis divifible each of them
Into juft Three Diftmft Subftances, nei-
ther
ther more nor lefs, which are wont to
be lookt upon as Elementary, or may
as well be reputed To as thofe that are
(o reputed. Which laft Claufe I fub-
joyne, to prevent your Objecting, that
fome of the Subftances I may have bci
caflon to mention by and by, are not
perfectly Homogeneous, nor Confe-
qucntly worthy o? the name of Princi-
ples. For that which 1 am now to con-
fer, is, into how many Differing
Subftances , that may plauflbly pafs for
the Elementary Ingredients of a mix'd
Body , it may be Analyz'd by the Eircj
but whether each of thefe be un-com-
pounded, Ireferveto examine, when I
fhall come to the next General Con-
fideration , where I hope to evince, that
the Subftances which the Chymifts not
only allow, but aflert to be the Com-
ponent Principles of the Body refolv'd
into them, are not wont to be uncom-
pounded.
Now there are two Kind of Argu-
Iments ( purfues Carneades ) which may
be brought to make my Third Pro-
poficion feem probable 5 one fort of
them being of a more Speculative Na-
ture, and the other drawn from Expe-
rience,
(170)
rience. To begin then with the firft
of thefe.
But asCarneades was going to do as ;
he had faid, Eleutheriw interrupted him,
by faying with a fomewhat fmiling coun-
tenance ;
If you have no mind I {hould think,
that the Proverb, That Good mts have
b&4 Memories, is Rational and Applies
ble to You, You mull not Forget now
you are upon the Speculative Confide-,
rations, that may relate to the Num-
ber of the Elements; that your Self did
not long fincc Deliver and Concede
fome Proportions in Favour of the Chy-
mtcal Doctrine, which I may without
difparagement to you think it uneafie,
even for Carneades to anfwer.
I have not, replies he , Forgot the
Conceflions you mean 5 but I hope too,
that you have not forgot neither with
what Cautions they were made, when
I had not yet afTumed the Perfon I
am now fuftaining. But however, I
(hall to content You , (o difcourfc of
my Third general confederation, as to
let You fee, That I am not Unmind-;
ful of the things you would have me re-
member.
To
d70
To talk then again according to fuch
principles as I then made ufe of, I {hall
reprefent, that if it be granted rational
to fuppofe, as 1 then did, that the Ele-
ments confined at firft ' of certain fmall
and primary Coalitions of the minute.
Particles of matter into Corpufcles ve-
ry numerous, and very like each other,
It will not be abfurd to conceive, that
fuch primary Gutters may be of far more
forts then three or five 3 and confcquent-
ly, that we need not fuppofe, that in
each oH the compound Bodies we arc
treating of there fnould be found juft
three forts of fuch primitive Coalitions,as
we arc fpeaking of.
And if according to this Notion we
allow a considerable number of differing
Elements, I may add, that it feems ve-
ry poflib'e, that to the constitution of
one fortofmixt Bodies two kinds of
Elementary ones may fuffice ( as 1 lately
Exemplify'd to you, in that molt dura-
ble Concrete, Glafs, ) another fort of
Mixts maybe compos'd of three Ele-
ments, another of four, another of five,
and anotht r perhaps of many more. So
that according to this Notion, there can
be no determinate number afuVn'd, as
that
070
ehat of the Elements, of all forts of com-
pound Bodies whatfoever, it being very
probable that >fome Concretes con-
ftlfc of fewer, fome of more Elements.
Nay, it does not feem Impoffible, accor-
ding to thefe Principles, but that there
may be two forts of Mixts, whereof the
one may not have f any of all the fame
Elements as the other confifts of , as we
oftentimes fee two words, whereof the
one has not any one of the Letters to be
met with in the other 5 or as we often
meet with divcrfe Ele&uaries, in which
no Ingredient ( except Sugar ) is con>
mon to any two of them. I will not
here debate whether there may not be
a multitude of thefe Corpufcles, which
byreafon of their being primary and
fimple, might be called Elementary, if
feveral forts of them fhould convene to
compofe any Body,which are as yet free,
and neither as yctcontex'd and entangl'd
with primary Corpufcles of other kinds,
but remains liable to be fubdu'd and
fafhton'd by Seminal Principles^ or the
like powerful and Tranf muting Agent,
by whom they may be fo conne&ed a-
mong themfelves, or with the parts of
one of the bodies, as to make the com-
pound
/ (m):
pound Bodies, whofe Ingredients they
are, refoluble into more, or other Ele^-
ments then thofe that Chymifts have
hitherto taken notice of.
To all which I may add, that fmce it
appears, by what I obferv'd to you of
the permanency of Gold and Silver,that
even Corpufcles that are not of an Ele-
mentary but compounded Nature, may
be of fo durable a Texture, as to re*
main indtffoli.ble in the ordinary Anaty
jw that Chymifts make of Bodies by the
Fires 'Tis not impofTible but that *
though there were but three Elements^
yet there may be a greater number of
Bodies, which the wonted wayes of A-
natomy will not difcover to be no Ele-
mentary Bodies.
But, fayes Carne&deS, having thus far*
in compliance to you, talk?t con je&ural-
ly of the number of the Elements, 'tis
now time to confider, not of how many
Elements it is poflible that Nature may
compound mix'd Bodies, but ( at leaft
as farr as the ordinary Experiments of
Chymifts will informe us ) of how many
file doth make them up.
I fay then, that it does not by thefe
foffictently appear tome, that there is
any
C'74)
any one determinate number of Ele*
nicnts to be uniformly met with in all
thefeveral forts of Bodies allow'd to be
perfectly mlxt.
And for the more diitincT proof of
this Proportion, I tTiall in the firlt place
Reprcfent, That there are divers Bodies,
whichl'could never fee by fire divided in*
to fomany as three Elementary fubftan-
ces. Iwould fainf as I faid lately to MM
poms ) fee that fixt and noble Metal we
call Gold feparated into Sait,Sulphur and
Mercury :' and if any man will fnbmit to
a competent forfeiture in cafe of failing,
I fhall willingly in cafe of profperous fuc-
ccfle pay both for the Materials and the
charges of fuch an Experiment. 'Tis
not, that after what I have try'd my felf
I dare peremptorily dcnya that there
may out of Gold be extracted a certain
fubitance, which I cannot hinder Chy-
mifts from calling its Tincture or Sulphurs
and which leaves the. remaining Body
depriv'd of its wonted colour. Nor am
I fure, that there cannot be drawn out
of the fame Metal a real quick and run-
ning Mercury. But for the Salt of Gold.
I never could either fee it, or be fatisficd
that there was ever fuch a thing feparar
ted,
075)
tz&yinremmmtur^ by the relation of
any credible eye witneife. And for the
feveral Procefles that Promife that ef-
fect, the materials that muft be wrought
upon are lomewhat too pretious and
coftly to be waited upon fo groundleile
adventures, of which not only the fuc-
eeffe is doubtful, but the very poffibility
is not yet demonftrated. Yet that which
molt deterres me from fuch tryalls, is
notthek chargeableneffe, but their unfa-
tisfa&orinefTc, though they fhould fuc-
ceed. For the Extra&ion of this golden
Salt being in Chymifts Proceffes pre-
icribed robe effected by corrofive Men-
ftru'MS} or the Intervention of other Sa-
line Bodies, it will remain doubtful to a
wary perfon, whether the Emergent
Salt be that of the Gold it Celf-> or of the
Saline Bodies or Spirits employ sd to pre-
pare it; For that fuch difguifes of Me-
tals do often impofe upon Artifts, I am
fure Eleutheiiui is not (b much a Granger
to CBymiftry as to ignore. I would
likewife willingly fee the three principles
fcparated from the pure fort of Virgin-
Sand, from Ofleocolla^ from refined Sil-
ver, from Quickfilver, freed from its ad-
ventitious Sulphur^ from Venetian Talk,
which
< i?0
which by long detention in an extreme
Reverberium , I could bat divide into
fmaller Particles, ( not the constituent
principles, ) Nay, which, when I caufed
;it to be kept, 1 know not how long, in a
Glafte-houfe fire, came out in the Fi-
gure its Lumps had when put iny though
alter'd to an almoft Amethyftwe colour 5
and from divers, other Bodies, which it
were now unnecefTary to enumerate*
For though I dare not abfolutely afi&rme
it to be impolTible to Anal)ze thefe Bo-
dies into their Tria Prima 3 yet becaufe,
neither my own Experiments, nor any
competent Teftimony hath hitherto ei-
1 ther taught me howfuch an Axalyfis may
be made, or fatisfy'd me, that it hath
been fo, I muft take the Liberty to re-
frain from believing it, till thcChymifts
prove it, or give us intelligible and pra-
cticable ProcelTes to performe what they
pretend, tor whilft they affect that <ȣ-
riigm&tic&l obfeurity with which they
are wont to puzzle the Readers of their
divulg'd ProcefTes concerning the Ana-
lytical Preparation of Gold or Mercury3
they leave wary perfons much unfatisfy-
ed whether or no the differing Subftan-
ces3 thcypromife to produce, be truly
the
(177)
theHypoftatical Principles, or only feme
intermixtures of the divided Bodies
with thofe cmploy'd to work upon
them, as is Evident in the Teeming
Cryftalls of Silver, and thofe of Mer-
cury *, which though by fome inconside-
rately fuppofed to be the Salts of thofe
Metalls, are plainly but mixtures of the
Metalline Bodies, with the Saline parts
of Aquafortis or other corrofive LiqUorsj
as is evident by their being reducible into
Silrer orQuickfilver,as they Were before*
I cannot but Confene ( faith Eleutke*
rius ) that though Chymifts may upon
probable grounds affirm thcmfelvesA-
ble to obtain their Tru Prima, from A-
nimals and Vegetables, yet I have often"
wondred that they fhould fo confidently
pretend alfo to refolve all Metalline and
other Mineral bodies into Salt, Su'pl.ur,
and Mercury. For 'tis a faying almoft
Proverbial , among thofe Chymifts
themfelves that are accounted Pbilofo-
phers; and our famous Countryman
Roger Bacon has particularly adopted its
that Facility eft aurum facer e quam deflvtt*
ere. And I fear, with You, that Gold
is not the onlyMineral from which Chy-
mifts are wont fruitlefsly to attempt the
N fepatating
(178)
feparating of their three Principles. I
know indeed ( continues Ekutherim) chat
the Learned Sennertus^ even in that book
where he takes not upon him to play
the Advocate for theChymifts,but the
Umpier betwixt them and thePcripa-
teticks, expreffes himfelf roundly, thus*
Salemomnibus inejje ( pifotfif feilicet ) &
Ib^de"' ex H* fieri poffe omnibus in refolutionibuS
conf. & Cbymicis verfatis notiffimum eft. And
aiflfenf. jn ^g next pagCj Qyoj defile dixi^ faies
i41' ^c5 Idem Ae Sulphur e did potest: but by
his favour I muft fee very good proofs,
before I believejfuch general Alfertions ,
how boldly foever made j and he that
would convince me of their truth, muft
firft teach me fome true and practicable
way of feparating Salt and Sulphur from
Gold, Silver, andihofe many different
fort of Stones, that a violent Fire does
not bring to Lime, but to Fufion; and
notonIy,I,fprmy own part, never faw
any of thofe newly nam'd Bodies (o re-
folved 5 but Hehnont) who was much
better versUin theChymical Anatomi-
zing of Bodies then either Semtertusot I,
has fome where this refolute paiTagej
»'™on- Scio (faies he>x arena, fiUciius &faxisi
4ep* mn Cakariissmnqttam Sulphur aut Mercu
rium
riutn tr&hi poffe 5 Nay Quercetams him-
felf, though the grand fticjder for the
Tria Prima, has this Confeifion of the
Irrefolublenefs of Diamonds; Adamant™**
( faith he ) omnium faBm Lapidum folidif- BiSich.irt
fmnsac duriffimus ex arBijfima videlicet Theflala
trium principiorum unione ac Cokerentia, 1^!'
qu<£ mil a arte feparationh in fohtioiem
principiorum fuorum fpirilualium difjungi
potefl. And indeed, pmfaes-Ekutheriw,
I was not only glad, but fomewhat fur-
prized to find you inclined to Admit that
there may be a Sulphur and a running
Mercury drawn from Gold 5 for unlefle
you do ( as your expreffion feem'd to
intimate ) take the word Sulphur in a ve-
ry loofc fence., I muft doubt whether
our Chymifts can feparate a Sulphur
from Gold ; For when I faw you make
the experiment that I fuppofe invited you
to fpeak as you did, I did not judge the
golden Tincture to be the true principle
of Sulphur extracted from the body 5 but
an aggregate of fome fuch highly colour'd
parts of the Gold, as a Chymift would
have called a Sulphur incombufiible, which
in plain Englifh feems to be little better
than to call it a Sulphur and no Sulphur.
And as for Metalline Mercuries, I had
H 2 not
( l8o)
nQtwondredsLt it,though you had expref-
fed much more feverity in Ipcaking of
them : For I remember that having once
met an old and famous Artift, who had
Jong been (and (till is)Chymiit so a great
Monarchy the repute he had of a very
honeft man invited me to; defire him
to tell me ingenuoufly whether or no, a-
mong his many labours, he had ever re-
ally extracted a true and running Mercu-
ry out of Metalls $ to which queftion he
freely replyed D that he had never ie-
pa rated a true Mercury fr^pm any Metal 3
nor had ever feen it really done by any
man elfe. And though Gold is, of all
Metalls, That.>whofe Mercury Chymifts
have moft endeavoured to extract, and
which they do the moft brag they have
extracted 5 yet the Experienced An^eha
Sala, in his Spagyricahccount of theTevcn
Terreflrial Planets ( that is the feven
metalls ) affords us this memorable Te-
ftimony,to our prefent purpofe 5 Q^an-
qs(am ( faies he ) &c . experientia umen
(quam ftultorum Magiftrum vocamus ) certe I
ComprobAVit^Mer curium aitri adeo pxumi
tnaturum,& arBe cum reliquis ejufdem cor-
poris f^hfianti is conjunct , utnulh mo do re^
trogredi yiffiu To which he fub-joynes., j
that
(iSO
that he himfelf had feen much Labour
{pent upon that Defign, but could ne*r
vcr fee any fuch Mercury produe'd
thereby. And I eafily beleeve what he
annexes 5 that he bad often feen Detefted
many tricks and Impotfures of Cheating
Alchymifts. For,the moft part of thofe
that are fond of fuch Charlatans^ being
unskilfull or Credulous, or both, 'tis ve-
ry eafie for fuch as have fome Skill ,
-much craft, more boldnefs, and no
.Conference, toimpofeupon them 3 and
therefore, though many profefsd Al-
fbymiffs , and divers Perfons of Qjali-
tyhave told me that they have made or
feen the Mercury of Gold, or of this
or that other Metal 5 yet 1 have been
itill apt to fear that cither thefe pet-
fons have had a Defign to deceive o-
thers $ or have not had Skill and circum-
fpeftion enough tp keep themfelves
from being deceived.
- You recall to my mind ( fayes Cay
neades) a certain Experiment I once
devis'd, innocently to deceive fome per-
fons, and let them and others fee how
lit c is to be built upon the alirrna-
tion of thole that are either uns'dllfull
or unwary, when they tell u.^heyhave
N 3 feen
(182)
ken AlchjmiHs make the Mercury of
this or that Metal ; and to make this
the more evident, I made my Expert
merit much more Slight, Short and
Simple, than the Chymifts ufuall pro-
ceffes to Extract Metalline Mercuries $
which Operations being commonly more
Elaborate and Intricate, and requiring
a much • more longer time, give the '
Akhymifis a greater opportunity to Co«*
sen, and Consequently are more Ob-
noxious to the Spectators mfprcion,
And that wherein I endeavour'd to
make my Experiment look the more
like a True Analyfis , was , that I not
only pretended as well as others to
extract, a Mercury from the Metal I
wrought upon, but likewife to fepa-
rate a large proportion of manifeft and
inflamable Sulphur. I take then , of
the filings of Copper, about a Drachme
or two, of common fublimate, pow-
der'd, the like Weight, and Sal Arms*
mack near about as much as of Subli-
mate jthefe three being well mingl'd
together I put into a fmall Vial with
a long neck, or, which I find better,
into a Glafs Urinall, which (having
firft flopped it with Cotton ) to avoid
the
the Noxious Fumes, I approach by de-
grees to a competent Fire of well
kindled coals, or ( which looks better,
but more endangers the Glafs ) to the
Flame of a candle; and after a while
the bottom of the Glafs being held
Juft upon the Kindled Coals, or in
the flame, You may in about a quarter
of an Hour , or perchance in halfe that
time, perceive in the Bottom of the
Glafs fome running Mercury ; and if
then You take away the Glafs and
break it, You {hall find a Parcel of
Quickfilver, Perhaps altogether, and
perhaps part of it in the pores of the
Solid Mafs ; You fhall find too, that
the remaining Lump being held to the
Flame of the Candle will readily burn
with a greenifh Flame , and after a
little while ( perchance prefently ) will,
in the Air Acquire a Greenifh Blew 5
which being the Colour that is afcrib'd
to Copper, when its Body is unlocked,
JTis eafie to perfwade Men that this is
the True Sulphur of Vem$^ efpecially
fince not only the Salts may be Sup-
pos'd partly to be Flown away, and
partly to be Sublim'd to the upper
part of the Glafs, whofe infide ( will
N 4 Com-
084)
Commonly appear Whitened by them)
but the Metal feems to be quite Pe-
itroy'd, the Copper no longer appear-
ing in a Metalline Forme, but alnioft in
that of a Refinous Lump ; whereas in-
deed the Cafe is only this, That the
Saline parts of the Sublimate, together
wich the Sal Armoniack^ being excited
and a&uated by the Vehement heat,
fall upon the Copper, (which is a Metal
they can more eafily corrode,than filver)
whereby the fmall parts of the Mercury
being freed from the Salts that kept them
afundc r , and being by the heat tumbled
Up and down after many Qcctirfions,
they Convene into a C .nfpicuous
Mafs of Liquors and as for the Salts,
fome of the more Volatile of them Sub-
liming to the upper part of the Glafs,
vhe others Corrode the Copper, and u-
<ming themfelves with it do ftrangely
alter and Difguife its Mctallick Form,
jnd compofe with it a new kind of
Concrete inflamable like Sulphur 5 con-
cerning which I fhall not now fay any
things Cmce I can Referr You to the
Piligent Ohfervations which I remem-
ber Mr. Boyle has made concerning this
Odde kind of Vcrd^reafc,But Continues
Car-
(i8s)
Carneides fmiling,y ou know I was not cut
out for a Mountebank;, and therefore I
will haften to refume the perfon of a
Sceptick,and take up my difeourfe where
You diverted me from profecuting it.
In the next place, then, I confider*
that, as there are fome Bodies which
yield not fo many as the three Prin-
ciples 5 fo there are many others, that
in their Refolution Exhibite more
principles than three : and that there-
fore the Ternary Number is not that of
the Univerfal and Adequate Principles
of Bodies. If you allow of the Dif-
eourfe I ately made You , touching
the primary Aflociations of the fmall
Particles of matter. You will fcarce
think it improbable, that of fuch Ele-
mentary Corpufcles there maybe more
forts then either three, or four, or five.
And if you will grant, what will fcarce
be deny'd , that Corpufcles of a com-
pounded Nature may in all the wonted
Examples of Chymifts pafs for Elemen-
tary , I fee not, why you fhould think it
impoffiblc, that as JquaFortis, or Aqu&
Kegh will make a Separation of colli-
quatcd Silver and Gold , though the
Fire cannot , fo there ma^ be fome A-
gent
gent found out fofubtile and Co power-
fully at leaft in refpe<ft of tbofe particu-
lar compounded Corpufclcs, as to be a-
ble to refcke-them into thofe more
ftmple ones, whereof they confift, and
consequently encreafe the number of the
Mtinft Subftances, whereinto the mixt
Body has been hitherto thought reftv
luble. And if that be true, which I
recited to you a while ago out of Het-
mom concerning the Operations of the
jilfahefZ) which divides Bodies into o-
ther Diftin& Subftances, both as to num-
ber and Nature , then the Fire docs ;
it will not a little countenance my
Conjecture. But confining our fclves
to fuch wayes of Analyzing mix'd Bo-
dies, as are already not unknown to
Chymifts, it may without Abfurditybe
QuemWd, whether befides thofe grof-
fer Elements of Bodies, which they call
Salt Sulphur and Mercury, there may
not be Ingredients of a more Subtile
Nature , which being extreamly little 5
and not being in tbemfeivcs Vifible 5
mayefcape unheeded at the junctures
of the • Deftillatory Veflels , though
never Co carefully Luted. For let me
obferve to yotnone thing, which though
not
(i87)
not taken notice of by Chymifts, may
be a notion of good Ufein divers Cafes
toaNaturalift, that we may well fuf-
pe&, that there may be feverall Sorts of
Bodies, which are not Immediate Ob-
jects of any one of our fenfes 5 fince we
See, that not only thofe little Corpuf-
cles that inue out of the Loadftonea
and perform the Wonders for which
it is juttty admired; But the Effluviums
of Amber, Jet, and other Electricall
Concretes, though by their efre&s upon
the particular Bodies difpos'd to receive
their Action, they Teem to fall under the
Cognizance of our Sight, yet do they not
as Ele&rical immediately Affeft any of
our fenfes,as do the bodies, whether mi-
nute or greater,tbat we See, Fcel,Tafte>
&c. But, continues Cameades, becaufe
you may expert I {hould, as the Chy-
mifts do, confider only the fenfible In-
gredients of Mixt Bodies, let us now fee,
what Experience will, even as to thefe,
fuggeft to us.
It feems then queftionable enough,
whether from Grapes varioufly order'd
there may not be drawn more diftincl:
Subftances by the help of the Fire, chen
from moft other mixt Bodies. For the
Grapes
(i88)
Grapes themfelves being dryed into
Rayfinsand diftill'd, will (betides Ah
cah , Phlegm,and Earth ) yield a conside-
rable quantity of an Empyreumatkal
Oyle, and a Spirit of a very different na-r
ture from that or Wine. Alfotheiin-
fermented Juice of Grapes affords other
diftil'd Liquors then Wine doth. The
Juice of Grapes after fermentation will
yield a Spiritus Ardent ; which if compe-
tently re&ifyed will all burn away with^
j out leaving any thing remaining. The
{fame fermented Juice degenerating into
IVinager, yields an acid and corroding
[Spirit. The fame Juice turnd up,armes
" it Mf with Tartar; out , of which may
be fcparated, #s out of other Bodies, .
Phlegme,, Spir|t-, Oyle, Salt and Earth:
not to mention what Subftances may be
drawn from the Vine it felf, probably
differing from thofe which are fcparated
from Tartar., which is a body by it felf,
that has few refcmblers in the World.
And I will further confidcr that wha^t
force foever you will allow this inilancc,
to evince that there are fomc Bodies that
yield more Elements then others, it can
icarcebedeny'dbuttbat the Major part
©f bodies that are divifihle into He-
mem s,
mentSj yield more then three. For3be-
fides thofe which the Chymifts are
pleafed to name Hypoftatical, moft bo-
dies contain two others, Phlegtne and
Earth, which concurring as well as thf
reft to the conftitution of Mixts, and be-
ing as generally, if not more, found in
their Analyfii, I fee no fufficient caufe
why they ftould be excluded from the
number of Elements. Nor will it fuf-
fice to object , as the Paracdjia»s arc
wont to do, that the Tria prima are the
moft ufeful Elements, and the Earth
and Water but worthleite and und&ivej
for Elements being call'd fo in relation to
the conftituting ofmixt Bodies, it fhould
be upon the account of its Ingredicncy,
not of its ufc, that any thing fhould be
affirmed or denyed to be an Element ;
and as for the pretended ufelefsnefs of
Earth and Water, it would be confidcr'd
that ufefulricflc, or the want of it, de-
notes only a Refped or Relation to us;
and therefore the prefence, or abfence of
ir> alters not the Intrinfick nature of the
thing. The hurtful Teeth of Vipers are
for ought I know ufclefs to us, and yet
are not to be deny^d to be parts of their
Bodies 5 and k were hard to ihew of
what
what greater Ufe to Us, then Phlegme
and Earth 3 arc thofe Undifcern'd Stars^
which our New Teletypes difcover to
Us, in many Blanched places of the Sk v^;
and yet we cannot but acknowledge
them Conftituent andConfiderably great
parts of the Univerfe. Befides that
whether or no the Phlegme and Earth be
immediately Ufeful, but neccrTary to
conftitute the Body whence they are
feparated; and confequently, ifthemixf
Bodybenotllfelefs to us, thofe con-
ftituent parts, without which it could
not have been That mixt Body, may be
faid not to be Unufeful tolls: and
though the Earth and Water be notfo
confpicuoufly Operative ( after feparati-
on ) as the other three more active Prin- '
ciples, yet in this cafe it will not be amifs;
to remember the luckyFable oiMenemm
AH&riPPA> of the dangerous Sedition of
the Hands and Legs, and other more
bufie parts of die Body, againft the
feemingly unadive Stomack. And to
this cafe alfo we may not unfitly apply
that Reafoning of an Apoftle, to ano-
ther purpofej If the Ear fall fay, bec&ufe
I Am not the Eye^ / am not of the Body ; Is
it therefore not of the Body} If the whole
Body
(187)
Sadjwere Eye^ where were the Hearing I
J(f the whole were for hearings where the
fmellingl In a word, fince Earth and
water appear, as clearly and as generally
as the other Principles upon the refoluti-
on of Bodies,to be the Ingredients where-
of they are made up 3 and fince they are,
ufeful, if not immediately to us, or ra-
ther to Pbyfitians, to the Bodies they
conftitute, and fo though in fomewhat a
remoter way,are ferviceable to us$to ex-
clude them out of the number of Ele-
ments, is not to imitate Nature.
But, purfues Carneades^ though I
think it Evident, that Earth and
Phlegme are to be reckon'd among
the Elements of moft Animal and Ve-
getable Bodies, yet 'tis not upon that
Account alone, that I think divers Bo-
dies refoluble into more Subftances
then three. For there are two Experi-
ments, that I have fometimes made to
fhew, that at leaft fome Mixts are divifi-
ble into more Diftincl: Subftances then
live. The one of thefe Experiments ,
though 'twill be more feafonable for me
to mention it fully anon, yet in the
mean time, I fhall tell you thus much of
ft9 That out of two DiftilPd Liquors,
which
Which pafs for Elements of the Bodies
whence they are drawn, I can without
Addition make a true Yellow and In*
flamable Sulphur, notwithftanding that
the two Liquors remain afterwards
Diftinft. Of the other Experiment,
which perhaps will not be altogether
unworthy your Notice, I muft now give
you this particular Account. I had long
obferv'd, that by the Deitillation of di-
vers Woods, both in Ordinary, and
fome unufuall forts of Velfels, the Co-
pious Spirit that came over, had befide*
a ftrortg taft, to be met with in the Em-
pyreumaticall Spirits of many other I
Bodies, an Acidity almoft like that of
Villager : Wherefore I fufpecled, that
though the fowrifh Liquor DiftLTd, for
Inftance,from Box- Wood, be lookt up -
on by Chymifts as barely the Spirit of
it, and therefore as one lingle Element
or Principle ; yet it does really confift
of two Differing Subftances, and may be
divifible into them 5 and confequently,
that fuch Woods and other Mixts as
abound with fuch a Vinager, may be
faid to confift of one Element or Prin-
ciple, more then the Chymifts as yet
are Aware of j Wherefore bethinking
my
(191)
my felf , how the reparation of tbefis
two Spirits might be made, I Quickly
found, that there were feveral wayes of
Compaffing it. But that of them
which I (hall at prefent mention, was
this. Having DeftuTd a Quantity of
Box-Wood perfe , and flowly redify^d
the fowrifh Spirit, the better to free it
both from Oyle and Phlegme, I caft in-
to this Re<5tifycd Liquor a convenient
Quantity of Powdcr'd Coral, expecting
that the Acid part of the Liquor would
Corrode the Coral* and being arTocia-
ted with it would be fo retain'dby it,
that the other part of the Liquor, which
was not of an acid Nature, nor fit to fa-
tten upon the Corals, would be permit-
ted t© afcend alone. Nor was I dece iv 'd
in my Expectation ; For having gently
abftra&ed the Liquor from the Corails,
there came over a Spirit of a Strong
fmell., and of a taft very piercing, but
without any fournefs; and which was in
diverfe qualities manifeftly different, not
only from a Spirit of Vinager, but from
fome Spirit of the fame Wood, that I
purpofely kept by me without depriving
it of its acid Ingredient. And to fatisty
you3 chat theie two Subftances were of
O a
(i?4>
a very differing Nature, I might informs
youoffeveralTryals that I made, but
mull not name fome of them, becaufe
cannot do fo without making fome un
feafonable difcoveries. Yet this I fkM]
tell you at prefent, that the fowre Spirli
o(Box3 not only would, as I juft now
related , duTolve Corals , which the
other would not fallen on, but being,
pour'd upon Salt of Tartar would imme-
diately boile and hifs, whereas the other
would lye quietly upon it. The acid
Spirit pour'd upon Minium made a Sugar
of Lead, which I did not find the other
to do ; fome drops of this penetrant fpi-
-rit being mingl'd with fome drops of the
blew Syrup of Violets feem'd rather to
dilute then btherwife alter the colours
whereas the Acid -Spirit turn'd the fyrup:
of a redd iih colour, and would probably
have made it of as pure a red as Acid
Salts are wont to do, had not its opera-
tion been hindered by the mixture of the
other Spirit. A few drops of the com-
pound Spirit being Shaken into a pretty
quantity of the infuflon of Lignum Ne»
phrttkm, prefently deftroyed all the
. blewifh colour, whereas the other Spirit
would not take it away. To all which
it
(1*5)
it might be added, that having for tryal*
fake pour'd fair water upon the Corals
that remained in the bottom of the glafs
wherein I had reclifyed the double fpirit
< if I may fo call it ) that was firlt drawn
from the Box3 I found according to my
expe&ation that the Acid Spirit had re-
ally diffolved the Corals, and had co-
agulated with them. For by the affuii-
on of fair Water , I Obtained a Soluti-
on, which ( to note that Angularity upon
the bye) was red, whence the Water
being evaporated, there remained a folu-
ble Subftance much like the Ordinary
Salt of Coral, as Chymifts are plcas'd
to call that Magiftery of Corals, which
they make by diflblving them in common
fpirit of Vinager, and abftra&ing the
Menfymum ad Siccitatem. I know not
whether I fhould fubjoine, on this occafi-
on, that the fimple fpirit of Box, il
Chymifts will have it therefore Saline
becaufcithasa ftrong raft, will furnifh
us with a new kind of Saline Bodies, dif-
fering from thofe hitherto taken notice
of. For whereas of the three chief forts
of Salts, the Acid, the Alcalizate, and
the Sulphureous , there is none that
feems to be friends wuh both the other
O 2 tWO
(l96)
two, as I may,e're it be long, have" 00*
cation to (hew j I did not find but thai
thefimplefpiritofBox did agree very
well ( at leaft as fart as I had occafion to
try it ) both with the Acid and the other
Salts. For though it would lye very
quiet with fait of Tartar, -Spirit of: Urine,
or other bodies, whofe .Salts were either
of an Alcalizate or fugitive Nature s vet
did not the mingling of Oy!e of Vitriol
itfelf produce any hiffing orErfervefcence,
which you know is wont to enfue upon
the Affafioflofthat highly Acid Liquor,
upon ei ther ofthe Bodies newly men-
tioned.
I think my felf, fayes Eteutherm^ be-
holden to you, for this Experiment, not
onlybecau'fe I forfee you will make it
helpful to you in the Enquiry you are
now upon, but becaufe k teaches us a
Method? whereby we may prepare a
numerous fort of new fpirits, which
though more flmple then any that arc
thought Elementary, are manifeftly en-
dowed with peculiar and powerfull' qua-
lities, fome of which may probably be of
confiderable ufe in Phyfick,as well alone,
as aifociated with other things ; as one
may hopefully guefs by the rednefs of
that
( 197)
that Solution yoUr four Spirit made of
Corals5 and by fome other circumftances
of your Narrative. And fuppofe (pur-
fues Eleutherim ) that you are not fo
confin d, for the feparation of the Acid
parts of thefe compound Spirits from
the other, to employ Corals ; but that
you may as well make ufe of any Alcali-
zate Salt, or of Pearls, or Crabs eyes, or
any other Body, upon which common
Spirit of Vinager will eafily work, and,
to fpeak in an HelmontUn Phrafe,Exant-
late it felf.
I have not yet tryed, fayes Cameades^
of whatufe the mention'd liquors maybe
in Phyfick,either as Medicines or as Men-
Bruums : But I could mention now (andi
may another time ) divers of the tryals
that 1 made to fatisfy my felf of the dif-
ference of thefe two Liquors. But that,
as I allow your thinking what you newly
told me about Corals, I prefume you will
allow me,from what I have laid already,
to deduce this Corollary; That there are
divers compound bodies, which may be
rcfolv'd into four fuch differing Subftan-
ces9 as may as well merit the name of
Principles, asthofeto which the Chy-
mifts freely give it. For llnce they fcruple
O 3 " ' not
f
(i?8)
not to -reckon 'that which I call the com-}
pound Spirit of Box, for the fpirir, ori
as others would have it, the Mercury of!
that Wood, I fee not, why the Acid li-
quor, andtheother, fhouldnot each of
them, especially that laft named,be lookt
upon as more worthy to be called an Ele-r
mentary Principle; fince it mult needs
be of a more firnple nature then the
Liquor, which was found to be divifible
into that, and the Acid Spirit. And this
further ufe ( continues Cameades) may I
be made of our experiment to my prefent I
purpofe, that it may give us a rife to fuf- ]
pe6t, that fince a Liquor reputed by the (
Chymifts to be, without difpute, Homo- 1
geneop,is by fo flight a way divifible into
two dittina and more flmple Ingredients,
fome more skilful or happier Experimen-
ter then I may find a way either further
to divide one of thefe Spirits,or to refolve
fome or other, if not all, of thofe other
Ingredients of mixt Bodies, that have hi-
therto pafs-d among Chymifts for their
Elements or Principles,
THE
THE
SCEPTICAL CHYMIST.
The Fourth Fart.
I A Nd thus much ( fayes Carneades }
,/\ may fuffice tobefaidof the Num-
ber of the DitlincT: fubftances feparable
from mixt Bodies by the Fire : Where-
fore I now proceed to confider the na-
ture of them, and {hew you, That
though they feem Homogeneous Bodies,
yet have they not the purity and fim-
plicity that is rcquifite to Elements.
And I fhould immediately proceed to
the proof of my Affertion, but that
the Confidence wherewith Chymifts are
wont to call each of the Subtfances we
fpeak of by the name of Sulphur or
Mercury, or the other of the Hypofta-
04 deal
(aeo)
tfeall Principles, and the intollerablfl
Ambiguity they allow themfelves 1
their Writings and Expreffions, makes
k neceffary for me in Order to tbt!
Keeping you either from miftakine
me, or thinking I miftake the Contro
vcrfie, to take Notice to you and com
plain of the unreafonable Liberty the1
give themfelves of playing with Name!,
at pleafure. And indeed i£ I were ob-
Jig'd in this Difpute , to have fuch re-
gard to the Phrafcology of each parti-
cular Chymift, as not to Write any
thing which this or that Author may
not pretend , not to contradia this or
that fence, which he may give as Oc-
cafion ferves p his Ambiguous Expref-
fions., I fhould fcarce know how to dig
pute,nor which way to turn my felf. For
I find that even Eminent Writers, (fuch
as RAjmmdLullj, Paracelfut and others)
do (o abufe the termes they employ,
that as they will now and then give di-
vers things, one name 5 fo they will of-
; ten times give one thing, many Names 5
and fome of them (perhaps) fuch, as do
'much more properly fignifie fome Dj-
#ina Body of another kind; nay even
|n Technical Words or Termes of Art,
they
(201)
%ey refrain not from this Confound-
lng Liberty , but will , as I have Ob-
fcrv'd, call the fame Subftance, fome-
times the Sulphur, and Sometimes
the Mercury of a Body. And now
I fpeak of Mercury, .1 cannot but
take Notice, that the Defcriptions
they give us of that Principle or Ingre-
dient of .mixt Bodies, are fo intricate,
that even thofethat have Endeavour'd
to Pollifh and Illuftrate the Notions of
the Chymifts, are fain to confefs that
they know not what to make of it, ei-
ther by Ingenuous Acknowledgments,
or Defcriptions that are not Intelligi-
ble.
I muft confefs ( faycs Eleittherius ) I
have, in the reading of Paracejfits and o-
cher Chymical Authors, been troubled
to find , that fuch hard Words and E-
quivocal Exprcflions, as You juftly com-
plain of, do even when they treat of
Principles, feem to be ftudioufly affe&ed
by thofe Writers; whether to make
themfelves tobeadmir'd by their Rea-
ders, and their Art appear more Ve-
nerable and Myfterious, or, ( as they
would have us think ) to conceal from
them a Knowledge themfelves judge in-
eftimable. But
(202)
But whatever (fayes Came odes ) thefe
Men may promife themfelves from i
Canting way of delivering the Princi-
ples of Nature, they will find the Ma«
jor part of Knowing Men fo vain, as1
when they underftand not what the\
read, to conclude, that it is rather the
Writers fault then their own. And
thofe that are fo ambitious to be ad-
mir'd by the Vulgar , that rather then
go without the Admiration of the Ig-
norant they willexpofe themfelves to
the contempt of the Learned, thofe
{ball , by myconfent, freely enjoy their
Option. As fortheMyftical Writers)
fcrupling to Communicate their Know-
ledge, they might Iefs to their own
Difparagement, and to the trouble ol
their Readers, have conceal'd it by wri-
ting no Books, then by Writing bad
ones. If ThemiHm were here, he
would not flick to fay, that Chymiils
write thus darkly, not becaufe they
think their Notions too precious to be
explain'd , but becaufe they fear that if
they were explain'd, men would dif-
eern, that they are farr from being pre-
cious. And indeed, I fear that the chief
Reafon why Chymifts have written (o
ob
( 303 )
obfcurely of their three Principles, may
be, That not having Clear and Di-
ftincl: Notions of them themfelves, they
cannot write otherwife then Confufedly
of what they but Confufedly Appre-
hend : Not to fay that divers of them3
being Confcious to the Invalidity of
their Do&rine, might well enough dif-
cerne that they could fcarce keep them-
felves from being confuted,but by keep-
ing themfelves from being clearly under-
ftood . But though much may be faid to
Excufe the Chymifts' when they write
Darkly, and enigmatically, about the
Preparation of their Elixir^ and Some
few other grand Ar-cmajht divulging of
which they may upon Grounds Plaufi-
ble enough efteem unfit ; yet when they
pretend to teach the General Principles
of Natural Philofophers , this Equivo-
call Way of Writing is not to be en-
dur'd. For in fuch Speculative Enqui-
ries, where the naked Knowledge of
the Truth is the thing Principally aim'd
at, what does he teach me worth thanks
that does not, if r+e can, make his No-
tion intelligible to me, but by Myftical
Termes, and Ambiguous Phrafes dark-
ens what he fhould clear up , and makes
mc
(204)
me add the Trouble of gucfling at the
fence of what he Equivocally exprefles,
to that of examining the Truth of what
he fecms to deliver. And if the mat-
ter of the Philofophers Stone, and the
manner of preparing it, befuchMyfte-
ries as they would have the World be-
lieve them, they may Write Intelligi-
bly and Clearly of the Principles of
mixt Bodies in General, without Dis-
covering what they call the Great
Work. But for my part ( Continues
Cameades ) what my Indignation at this
Un -philcfpphical way of teaching Prin-
ciples has now extorted from me, is
meant chiefly to excufe my felf, if I
fhall hereafter oppofe any Particular O-
pinion oravTcrtion, that fome Follow-
er o^Paracelfm or any Eminent Artift
may pretend not to be his Matters. For,
as I told you long fince, I am not Ob-
lig'd to examine private mens writings,
( which were a Labour as endlefs as
unprofitable ) being only engag'd to ex-
amine thofe Opinions about the Tria
Jrimd, which I find thofe Chymifts I
have met with to agree in moft ; And
I Doubt not but my Arguments againft
their [Doctrine will be in great part ea-
\. fily
(205)
fily enough applicable ev'n to thofe
private Opinions, which they do not (o
dire&iy and exprefly oppofe. And in*
deed, that which I am now entering
upon being the Confideration of the
things themfelves whereinto SpagyriBs
refolve mixt Bodies by the Fire, If I can
{hew that thefe are not of an Elementa-
ry Nature, it will be no great matter
what names thefe or thofe Chymifts
have been pleafed to give them. And I
queftion not that to a Wife man, and
confequently to Eleutherim^ it will be
leffe confiderable to know, what Men
Have thought of Things, then what they
Should have thought.
In the fourth and Jaft place, then, I
confider,that as generally as Chymifts
are wont to appeal to Experience, and
as confidently as they ufe to inftance
the feveral fubftances feparatcd by the
Fire from a Mixt Body, as a fuffieient
proof of their being its component Ele-
ments ; Yet thofe differing Subftances
are many of them farr enough from Ele-
mentary fimplicity , and may be yet
lookM upon as mixt Bodies, moft of
themalforetaining,fomewhat at leaft, if
Mt very much, of the Nature, pi^ thofe
Con-
(206)
Concretes whence they were forc'd.
j lam glad ( fayes hkutherm ) to feel
the Vanity or Envy of the canting Chy-J
mifts thus difcover'd and chaftis'd, and If
could wifh, that Learned Men would!
confpire together to make thefe deluding!
Writers fenfible, that they muft nol
longe hope with Impunity to abufe the
World. For whilft fuch Men are quiet-
ly permitted to publifh Books with pro-
mifmg Titles, and therein to Affert what
they pleafe, and contradict others, and
ev'nthemfelvesas they pleafe, with as
little danger of being confuted as of being
imderftood, they are cncourag'd to get
rhemfelves a name, at the coft of the
Readers, by finding that intelligent Men
are wont for the reafon newly mead-
on'd, to let their Books and Them a*
lone : And the ignorant and credulous
( of which the number is ftill much grea-
ter then that of the other ) are forward
to admire mod what they Jeaft under-
stand.^ But if Judicious men skill'din
Chymical affaires fhall once agree to
write clearly and plainly of them, and
thereby keep men from being ftunn'd,
as it were, orimposd upon by dark or
empty Words 5 'tis to be hop'd that
thefe
1
( aoy )
thefe men finding that they can no long-
er write impertinently and abfurdly3
without being rlaugh'd at for doing fo3
will be reduc'd either to write nothings
or Books that may teach us fomething,
and notrobmen,as formerly, of invalua-
ble Time ; and fo ceafing to trouble the
World with Riddles or Impertinencies^
we {hall either by their Books receive an
Advantage^ or by their filence^efcape
an Inconvenience.
But after all this is faid ( continues
Eleutkeriits ) it may be reprefented in fa-
vour of theChymifts, that>in one regard
the Liberty they take in ufing names,
if it be excufable at any time, maybe
more fo when they fpeak of the fubftan-
ces whereinto their Amljfis refolves mixt
Bodies: Since as Parents have the Right
to name their own Children, it has c*
ver been allow'd to the Authors of new
Inventions,to Impofe Names upon them.
And thereforethe fubje&s we fpeak of
being fo the Productions of the ChymilVs
I Art, as not to be otherwife, but by ir,
'obtainable; it feems but equitable to give
Ithe Artifts leave to name them as they
■:>leafc : confideringalfothat none are fo
6t and likely to teach us what thofe Bo-
dies
(208)
dies are, as they to whom we owM I
them.
I told You already ( fayes Cameades)
that there is great Difference betwixt the I
being able to make Experiments, and the -
being able to give a Philofophical Ac-
count of them. And I will not now add,
that many a Mine-digger may meet,
whilft he follows his work, with a Gemm
or a Mineral which he knowes not what
to make of, till he fhews it a Jeweller
or a Mineralift to be inform'd what it is.
But that which I would rather have here
obfery'd, is, That the Chymifts I am
now in debate with have given up the
Liberty You challcng'd for them, of
ufing Names at Pleafure, and confin'd
Themfelves by their Defcriptions,though
but fuch as they are, of their Principles;
fo that although they might freely have
call'dany thing their Andjfis prefents
them with, either SuIphur,or Mercury,or
Gas, or Bias, or what theypleas'd ; yet
when they have told me that Sulphur
(for inftance ) is a Primogeneal and
fimpleBody, Inflamable, Odorous, &c.
they muft give me leave to dif-belieye
them, if they tell me that a Body that
is either compounded or -uninflamable is
fitch
ftich a Sulphur s and to tbink'tlicy pky
with words, when they teach that Gold
and fome other Minerals abound with an
Incombuftible Sulphur, which is as pro-
per an Expreffion , as a Sun- thine Night,
or Fluid Ice.
But before I defcend to the Mention
ofParticulars belonging to my Fourth
Confideration, I think it convenient to
rremife a few Generals ; fome of which
fhall the -Iefs need to infift on at prefenr,
becaufe I have Touched on them al-
ready.
And firft I muft invite you to "take
notice of a certain T„ , •., . . „. hii 3
' -rr • rj j Iliad notable, in vino ejje Spirt-
paiiage in HelmOMy tumqiiendammitioremulteriorUfy
which though I have nobilior'K qualiutk participem qua
nnt "P/mi^J1 rv,,,^U l«i immediattper diftilktionem dh
not round much \im dhimrqie aC{iA „jM dephki-
hecdedby his Rea- matai q^odfadiiwh fimpliti on-
rWc 1An TJi*r«r^ir varum oho ad oculum fpe&atur.
ULrs, ne HimieJt Quipfe difliUatum oleum abfque la-
inentlOM as a notable temmaut tigularum additamento^
thin? and T tnVe* m ciuodclue oleum Vbilofephorum diet-
nung, ana 1 taKe to ^ multum diffm y^ olehare_
be a very conlidera- qua eimiur print reduSo oieofim-
ble one i for where- ^lja- in tartes <fijfini>tarcs f°la fir
«r *U« Tvn.;ii> J i £efti°ne </<r Salts arculati Paracel*
as ttie Ulltlll Ci oyle fid iippofithnd, jiquidemfal drew
o f oyle- olive, though iamm ^em m Tdnciere & q**mt&.
© tibus prifiinU ab dec fegregatur
pojiquam oleum olhar'um in Jui be-
Terogcneitates eft difpofitum. Duke enim Tunc Oleum Olivarum
ex oleo, pout & fuavijfmus vini [piritus a vino bpc palio
Jeparanmr, longeque ab aqu&vit* acrimonia dijlintfut
Jtelmont, AuvaviMlis,pag. 725,
P drawn
(2lO>
drawn perfs is ( as I have try'd ) of a ve-
ry (harp and fretting Quality, and of an
odious tail. He tells us that Simp J e oyle
being only digefted with Paracelfits's fal
cire datum , is reduc'd into diffimiiar
parts,and yields a fweet Oyle,very differ-
ing from the oylediftuTd,from fallet oyle;
as alfo that by the fame way there may
be feparated from Wine a very fweet
and gentle Spirit,partaking of a far other
and nobler quality then that which is
immediately drawn by diftilladon and
call'd Vephlegm d AquaviUy fromwhofe
Acrimony this other fpirit is exceedingly
remote , although the fal circuUtum that
makes thefe Amtomiesht feparated from
the Analyz'd*Bodies,in the fame weight
and with the fame qualities it had before;
which Affirmation of Belmont if we ad-
mit to be true, we muft acknowledge
that there may be a very great difparity
betwixt bodies of the fame denomination
(as feveral oyles, orfeveral fpirits) fe-
parable from compound Bodies : For,
befidesthe differences I fhall anon take
notice of, betvtfixt thofe diftill'd Oyles
chat are commonly known to Chymifts,
?l appears by this , that by means
ot the Sal Circulmm 5 There may
be quite another fort of Oyles obtar n'd
from the fame Body \ and who knowes
but that there may be yet other Agents
found in Nature, by whofe help there
may, whether by Tranfmutation- or o-
therwife, be obtain'd from the Bodies
Vulgarly call'd Mixt, Oyles or other fub-
ftances, Differing from thofe of the
fame Denomination, known either to
Vulgar Chymifts , or even to Behnont
Himfelf ; but fot fear You fhould tell
me, that this is but a con je&ure groun-
ded upon another Mans Relation,whofe
Truth we have not the means to Experi-
ment, I will not Inftft upon it ; bus
leaving You to Confider o£ it at lea-
fure, I fhall proceed to what is next.
Secondly,Then if that be True which
was the Opinion of ' LxcippHS^Democritus 0
and other prime Anatomies of old, and is
in our dayes reviv'dby no mean Phi*
lofophers 5 namely, That our Culinary
Fire, fuch as Chymifts ufe, confifts of
fwarmes of little Bodies fwiftly moving,
which by their fmallnefs and motion
are able to permeate the follideft and
Compacteft Bodies, and even Glafs it
Self 5 If this ( I fay ) be True, fince we
fee that In flints and other Concretes*
P % the
(U2)
the Fiery part is Incorporated with the
Grofler, it will not be Irrationall to con-
jecture, that multitudes of thefe Fiery
Cofpufcles j getting in at the Pores of
the Glafs, may aflfociate themfelves
with the parts ofthemixt Body where-
on they work,>and with them Confti-
uue new Kinds of Compound Bodies,
according as the Shape, Size, and other
Affections of the Parts of the Diffipa-
ted Body happen to difpofe them, in
Reference to fuch Combinations 5 of
which alfo there may be the greater
Number 5 if it be likewife granted that
the Corpufcles of the Fire ,- though all
exceeding minute5 and very fwiftly mo-
ved, are not all of the fame brgnefs,
nor Figure. And if I had not Weightier
Considerations to Difcourfe to you of,
I could name to you, to Countenance
what I have newly (aid, fotne particu-
lar Experiments by which I have been
Deduc'd to think , that the Particles of
an open Fire working upon fome Bo-
dies may really Affociate themfelves
therewith? and add to the Quantity.
But becaufe I am not fo furc, that whe n
the Fiie works upon Bodies included
In Glalfcsj it docs ,it;bya reall Tra-
("3)
je&ion of the Fiery Corpufdes thcm-
felves, through the Subftance of the
Glafs, I will proceed to what is next to
be mentioned.
I could ( fayes Eleutherim ) help you
to fomc Proofes, whereby I think it
may be made very probable., that when
the Fire ads immediately upon a Body,
fomc of its Corpufdes may ftick to
thofe of the burnt Body, as they fcem
to do in Quicklime, but in greater
numbers, and more permanently. But
for fear of retarding Your Progrefs, I
fhall defire you to deferr this Enqwf^
till another time, and proceed as you
intended.
You may then in the next place (fayes
Carneades) obferve with me, that not
only there are fome Bodies, as Gold,
and Silver, which do not by the ufual
Examens, made by Fire, Difcover them-
felves to be mixt s but if ( as You may
Remember I formerly told You ) it be
a De-compound Body that is Diffipa-
ble into feveral Subftanccs, by being
expos'd to the Fire it may be refolv a
into fuch a> are neither Elementary ,
nor fiich as it was upon its laft mix-
ture Compounded of , but into new
P i ' Kinds
(214)
Hinds of mixts. Of this I have already
given You fome Examples in Sope, Su-
gar of Lead, and Vitriolh Now if we I
ihail Confider that there are fome Bo-
dies, as well Natural, ( as that I laft
nam'd ) as Fa&itious , maiufeftly De- .
compounded 5 That in the Bovvells of i
the Earth Nature may , as we fee fine ;
fometimes docs , make ftrange Mix-
turns ; That Animals are nourilVd with I
other Animals and Plants. 5 And, that
thefe themfelves have almoft ail of them
their Nutriment and Growth , either j
£rom a certain Nitrous Juice Harbour d
in the Pores of the Earth, or from the
Excrements of Animalls,or from thepu- .
trify'd Bodies, either of living Crea- 1
tures or Vegetables, or from other Sub-
tfances of a Compounded Nature 5 If, I
fay, we confider this, it may feem pro-*
bablc, that there may be among the
Works of Nature ( not to mention
thofe of Art ) a greater Number of
De- compound Bodies, then men take
Notice of 5 And indeed, as I have for-
merly alfo obferv'd, it does not at all ap-?
pear, that all Mixtures muft be ofEle*
mentary Bodies; but it feems farrmore
probable, that there are divers forts of
com- i
compound Bodies, even in regard of
all or fome of their Ingredients , con*
fider'd Antecedently to their Mixture,
For though fome feem to be made up
by the immediate Coalitions of the E-
lements, or Principles themfelves, and
therefore may be call'd Prima M?$a3 cc
Mifta Primaria^tt it kerns that many o-
ther Bodies are mingl'd ( if I may fo
fpeak ) atthefecond hand, their imme-
diate Ingredients being not Elementary,
but theie primary Mixts newly fpoken
of; And from divers of thefe Secon-
dary fort of Mixts may refult, by a fur-
ther Compofition, a Third fort, andfo
onwards. Nor is it improbable , that
fome Bodies are made up of Mixt Bo-
dies, not all of the fame Order, but of
feveral; as ffor Inftance) a Concrete
may confift of Ingredients, whereof
the one may have been % primary, the
other a Secondary Mix t Body 5 (as I have
in Native Cinnaber, by my way of Re-
folving k3 found both that Courfer
the part that feems more- properly to be
Oar, and a Combuftible Sulphur, and a
Running Mercury : ) or perhaps without
any Ingredient of this latter fort, it may
be compos'd of Mixt Bodies, fome of
P 4 them
(tit)
them of the firft, and fome of the third
Kinds And this may perhaps be fome«
what Illuftratcd by reflecting upon.
what happens in fome Chymical Pre-
parations of thofe Medicines which they
call their Bezoardicmns. For firft, they
take Antimony and Iron, which may
be look'd upon as Frima Mifla; of thefe
they compound a Starry Reguhs 3 and
to this they add according to their In-
tention, either Gold, or Silver, which
makes with it a new and further Com-
pofition. To this they add Sublimate,*
which is it felf a De-compound body ,
( confifting of common Quickfilver, and
divers Salts United by Sublimation in-
to a Cryftalline Subftancc) and from
this Sublimate, and the other Metal-?
line Mixtures, they draw a Liquor, which
may be allow' d to be of a yet more
Compounded Nature. If it' be true,
as Chymifts affirm it, that by this
Art fome of the Gold or Silver mingl'd
with the RegulM may be carry'd over
the Helme with it by the Sublimate 5 as
indeed a Skilfull and Candid perfon
comphind to me a while fince, That
an experience Friend of His and mine,
having by fuch a way brought over a
great
Oi7)
great Deal of Gold, in hope to do
Something further with k> which mighr
be gaihfull to him, has not only mifs'd
of his Aim, but is unable to recover
his Volatiliz'd Gold out of the Anti-
monial butter, wherewith it is itriSly
united.
Now ( Continues Carneades ) if a
Compound body confift of Ingredients
that are not meerly Elementary; it is
not hard to conceive, that the Subftan-
ces into which the Fire DifTolves it,
though feemingly homogeneous c-
nough, may be of a Compounded
Nature, thofe parts of each body that
are molt of Kin alfociating themfelves
into a Compound of a new Kind. As
when ( for example fake ) I have caus'd
Vitrioll and SalArmontack^nd Salt Petre
to be mingl'd and Dettill'd together,
the Liquor that came over manifeued
it felf not to be either Spirit of Nitre, or
of Sal A mom 'ack, or of Vitrioll. For
none of thefe would dhTolve crude gold,
which yet my Liquor was able readily to
do; and thereby manifefted it felf to be
a new Compound, confifting at leaft
of Spirit of Nitre, and Saljirmoniaeky
for the latter dilfohrd in the former,
will
(218)
will Work on Gold) which never-
thelefsare not by any known way fe-
parable, and conlequently would not
pafs for a Mixt Body, if we our fdves
did not, to obtain it, put and Diftill to-
gether divers Concretes, whofe Diftinft
Operations were known before hand.
And, to add on this Occafion the Ex-
periment I lately promis'd You, be-
caufe it is Applicable to our prefent
purpofe, I fhall Acquaint You , that
lufpe&ing the Common Oyle of Vitriol!
not to be altogether fuch a fimple Liquor
as Chymifts prefume it, I mingi'd k
with an equal or a Double Quantity
( for I try'd the Experiment more then
once ) of common Oyle of Turpentine,
fuch as together with the other Liquor
I bought at the Drugfters. And ha-
ving carefully C for the Experiment is
Nice, and fomewhat dangerous) T>i-
ih'll'dthe Mixture in a fmall Glafs Re-
tort , I obtain'd according to my Dc-
fire, ( befides the two Liquors I had put
in ) a pretty Quantity of a certain fub-
ftance, which flicking all about the
Neck of the Retort Difcover'd it felf
to be Sulphur , not only by a very ftrong
Sulphureous fmell, and by the colour of
Brimftone,
(2Ip)
Brimftone 5 but alfo by this, That be-
ing put upon a coal, it was immediate-
ly kindl'd, and burn'd like common Sul-
phur. And of this Subftance I have
yet by me forne little Parcells , which
You may command and examine when
you pleafe. So that from this Experi-
ment I may deduce either one, or both
of thefe Proportions, That a real Sul-
phur may be made by the Conjun&ion
of two fuch Subftances as Chymifts take
for Elementary, And which did not ei-
ther of them apart appear to have any
fuch body in it 5 or that Oyle of Vicrioll
though a Diftill'd Liquor, and taken
for part of the Saline Principle of the
Concrete that yields it, may yet be fo
Compounded a body as to contain, be-
fides its Saline part, a Sulphur like com-
mon brimftone, which would hardly
be it felf a fimple or un-compounded
body.
I might (purfues Carneades ) remind
You, that. I formerly reprefentedit, as
poffiblc. That as there may be more E-
lements then five, or fix 5 fo the Ele-
ments of one body may be Different
from thofe of another ; whence it would
follow, that from the Refolution of De-
compound
(220)
compound body , there may refultMixts
of an altogether new kind, by the Coa-
lition of Elements that never perhaps
convened before. I might, I fay, mind
You of this, and add divers things to this
fecond Conflagration 5 but for fear of
wanting time I willingly pretermit them,
topafson to the third, which is this,
That the Fire does not al waves barely re-
folve or take afunder , but may alfo af-
ter a new manner mingle and compound
together the parts ( whether Elementa-
ry or not ) of the Body DifTipated by
it.
This is (o evident, fayes Carneades, in
fome obvious Examples, that I cannot
but wonder at theirSupinefs that have not
ta|cen notice of ir. For when Wood
being burnt in a Chimney is diffipated
by the Fire into Smoke and Allies, that
fmoke compofes foot, which is fofar
from being any one of the principles of
the Wood, that ( as I noted above )
you may by a further Analjfis fepa-
rate five or fix distinct fubftances fromir.
And as for the remaining A{hes,the Chy-
mitts themfelves teach us, that by a fur-
ther degree of fire they may be indiftolu-
bly united into glafs.'tis crue,that the A^
(221)
nalyfis which the Chymifts principally
build upon is made, not in the open air,
but in ,dofe Veffels; but however, the
Examples lately produced may invite you
(hrcwdly to fufpcft. That heat may as
well compound as diflipate the Parts of
mixt Bodies : and not to tell you, that I
have known a Vitrification made even in
clofeveflfels, I muft remind you that the
Flowers of Antimony, andthofe of Sul-
phurate very mix'd Bodies,though they
afcend in clofe veifells: And that 'twas in
ftopt glaffes that I brought up the whole
Body ofCamphire. And whereas it
may be objected, that all thefe Exam*
pies are of Bodies forc'd up in a dry>
not a Fluid forme, as are the Liquors
wont to be obtain'd by diftillation 5 I
anfwer, That befides that 'tis pofTible,
chat a Body may be changed from Con-
fident to Fluid, or from Fluid to Con-.
fiftent, without being otherwifc much
altered, as may appear by theEafinefs
wherewith in Winter, without any Ad-
dition or Separation of Vifible Ingredi-
ents, the fame fubftance may be quickly
harden'd into brittle Ice, and thaw'd a-
gain into Fluid Water ; Befides this, I
fay it would be confider'd, that common
Quick:
(222)
Quick-filverit felf, which the Ethinen* ■
telt Chymifts confefs to be amixt Body,
may he Driven over, the Helme in its
Prirtine forme of Qjickfilver, and con-
fequently,in that of a Liquor. And cer-
tainly 'tis poffiblc that very compounded
Bodies may concur to Gonftitute Li-
quors 5 Since, not to mention that I have
found it poffible,by the help of a certain
Menfcruum^ to diftiil Gold it felf through
a Retort, even with a Moderate Fire ;
Let us but confider what happens in
Butter of Antimony. For if that be
carefully rectify 'd, it may be redue'd in-
to a very clear Liquors and yet if You
caft a quantity of fair water upon it,there
will quickly precipitate a Ponderous and
Vomitive Calx, which made before a
considerable part of the Liquor, and yet
Is indeed (though fome eminent Chymifts
would have it Mercurial ) an Antimoni-
al Body carryed over and kept dhTolv'd
by the Salts of the Sublimate, and con-
fequcntly a compounded one;as You may
find if You will have the Curiofity to
Examine this White powder by a skil-
ful Reduction. And that You may not
think that Bodies as compounded as flow-
ers of Brimftonc cannot be brought
to
(22?)
to Coticurr toGonftitute Diftiird Li*
quors 3 And alfo That You may
not imagine with Divers Learned Men'
that pretend no frhall skill in Chymiftry.,
that at leaft no mixt Body can be brought
over the Heime, but by corrofwe Salts.,
I am ready to fhew You , when You
pleafe, among other wayes of bringing
over Flowers of Brimftone ( perhaps 1
might add even Mineral Sulphurs) fomc5
wherein I employ none but Oleaginous
bodies to make Volatile Liquors3in which
not only the colour 3but ( which is a much
furer mark) the fmell and fome Opera-
tions manifeft that there is brought over
a Sulphur that makes part of the Li-
quor.
One thing more there is0Eletitherws,
fayes Carmactes, which is fo pettinent to
niyprefentpurpofe3that though I have
touch'd upon it before, I cannot but on
i this occafion take notice of it. And it is
'this., That the Qualities or Accidents,
upon whofe account Chymifts are wont
to call a portion of Matter by the name
of Mercury or fome other of their Prin-
ciples 3 are not fuch but that 'tis pof-
fible as Great (and therefore why not the
like ? ) may be producd by fuch changes
of
(2 24)
of Texture, and other Alterations, as
the Fire may make in the fmali Parts of a
■ Body. I have already prov'd, when I
difcours'd of the fecond General Confi-
deration, by what happens to plants
nourifh'4 only with fair water, and
Eggs hatch'd into Chickens , that by
changing the difpofition of the compo-
nent parts of a Body, Nature is able to
effect as great Changes in a cfercell of
Matter reputed fimilar, as thole requifue
to Denominate one of the Tria Prima.
And though Belmont do Tomewhere
wittily call the Fire the Deftru&or and
the Artificial Death of Things 5 And al-
though another Eminent Chymift and
Phyfitian be pleas'd to build upon this,
That Fire can never generate any thing
but Fire; Yet You will, I doubt not, be
of another mind, If You confidcr how
many new forts of mixt Bodies Cby-
mifts themfelves have produe'd by means
of the Fire ; And particularly,if You con*
fiderhow that Noble and Permanent
Body, Glafs, is not only manifeftly pro-
duct by the violent action of the Fire,
but has never, for ought we know, been
produe'dany other way. And indeed
it feems but an inconfiderate Aflercion of
fomc
fome Helmontiam , that every fort of
Body of a Peculiar Denomination muft
be produe'd by fome Seminal power s as
I chink I could evince, if I thought it fo
neceflary, as it is for me to haften to
what I have further to difcourfe. Nor
need it much move us, that there are
fome who look upon whatfoever the
Fire is employ'd to produce, not as up-
on Natural but Artificial Bodies. For
there is not alwaies fuch a difference as
many imagine betwixt the one and the
other: Nor is it fo eafvas they think*
clearly to afligne that which Properly,
Conftantly , and Sufficiently, Difcrimi*
nates them. But not to engage my felf
in fo nice a Difquifition, it may now fuf-
fice to obfervc, that a thing is common-
ly termed Artificial, when a parcel of
matter is by the Artificers hand,or Tools,
or both, brought to fuch a fhape or
Form, as he Defign'd before-hand in
his Mind : Whereas in many of the
Chymical Produaions the effeft would
be produe'd whether the Artificer in*
tended it or no ; and is oftentimes very
|much other then he Intended or Look't
for ; and the Internments employ'd, are
not Tools Artificially faftiion'd and
Q. fraped
(22*)
fhaped , like thofe of Tradefmen, for
this or that particular Work 5 but, for
the moft part, Agents of Nature's own
providing, andwhofe chief Powers of
Operation they receive from their own
Nature or Texture, not the Artificer.
And indeed,the Fire is as well a Natural
Agent as Seed : And the Chymift that
imployes it, does but apply Natural A-
gents and Patients, who being thus
brought together, and acting according
to their refpeftive Natures , performe
the worke themfelves ; as Apples,Plums,
or other fruit, are natural Productions,
though the Gardiner bring and faften
together the Sciens of theStock,and both
Water , and do perhaps divers other
wayes Contribute to its bearing fruit.
But, to proceed to what I was going to
lay, You may obferve with me, Elm?-
theriw,t\m, as I told You once before ,
Qualities Height enough may ferve to
Denominate a Chymical Principle. For,
when they anatomize a compound Body
by the Fire, if they get a Subftance in-
fkmable, and that will not mingle with
Water, that they prefently call Sulphur*
what is fapid and Diflbluble in Water,
thacmuftpatic for Salt 5 Whatsoever is
&'d
(227)
fix'd and indiflbluble in Watef3 that
they name Earth. And I was going to
add., that5 whatfoever Volatile iubftance
they know not what to make of5 not to
fay, whatfoever they pleafe, that they
call Mercury. But that thefe Qualities
may either be produced, otherwife then
byfuchaschey call Seminal Agents, or
may belong *o bodies of a compounded
Nature^ may be fhewn, among other
Tnftances3inGlafsmadeofafhes3 where
the exceeding ftrongly- tailed AlcaU-
zate Salt joyning with the Earth becomes
infipid, and with it conftitutes aBody3
which though alfo dry, fixt, and indif-
foluble in Water, is yet manifeftly a
mixt Body$and made fo by the Fire it felf«
And I remmember to our prefent pur-
pofe, that Belmont^ amongft other Me-
dicines that he commends, has a fhort
proce{fe*wherein,?though the Directions
for Practice are but obfcurely intimated %
yet I have fome reafon not to Dif-believe
che Procefs,without affirming or denying
any thing about the vermes of the remedy
to be made by it. Qiiando ( fayes he ) ok- Heimctit
ton citwamomi&c.fuo fall alkali mifcetur^^12
&bfqueomni atyta-striummenfium artifciofa
ocmltape finuUtione^ totum mfakm <voU~
Q% tilem
(228)
tile m cemmutmm eft, vere ejjentiam fdl
fimplicis in mbh exprimit, & ufque mp.ri\
ma noflri conffitutivafefe ingent, A not
unlike Proceffe he delivers in another
place; from whence,ifwe fuppofe him to J
fay true, I may argue, that fince by thei
Fire there maybe produe'd a fubftancel
that is as well Saline and volatile as the!
Salt of Harts-horn, blood, &c.which pafsj
for Elementary , and fince that this Vo- II
latile Salt is really compounded ofal
Chymical Oyle and a fixt Salt, the I
one made Volatile by the other, and!
both affociated by the fire, it may well!
be fufpe&ed that other Subftances, emer- 1
ging upon the Diflipation of Bodies by I
the Fire, may be new forts of Mixts, and I
Confift of Subftances of differing natures; I
and particularly, I have, fometimes fuf-.l
pecked, that fince the Volatile Salts of 1
Blood, Harts-horn, &c. are figitive and
endowd with an exceeding ftrong fmell, 1
either that Chymifts do Erroneoufly a-
feribe all odours tofulphurs, or that fuch
Salts confift offome oyly. parts well in-
corporated with the Saline "ones. And
the like con je&ure I have alfo made con-
cerning Spirit of Vinager, whicb,though
the Chymifts think one of the Principles
J
(22*)
of that Body, and though being an Acid
Spirit it feems to be much lefs of kin
then Volatile Salts to fulphurs 5 yet,not
to mention its piercing fmell $ which I
-know not with what congruity the Chy-
nuft will deduce from .Salt, I wonder
they have not taken notice of what their
own Tirocinium Chymicum teach us con-
cerning the Defoliation of Saabarum Sa-
turni 5 out of which Beguinm affures Us, Tyj.oc
that he diftilPd, befides a very fine fpirit, £h> £•
no leffe then two Oyles, the one blood-
red and ponderous, but the other fwim-
ming upon the top of the Spirit, and of a
yellow colour 5 of which he fayes that
he kept then fome by him,to verify what
he delivers. And though I remember
not that I have had two diftindt Oyles
from Sugar of Lead, yet that it will
though diftilPd without addition yield
fome Oyle, difagrees not with my Expe-
rience. I know the Chymifts will be
apt to pretend,that thefe Oyls are but the
volatiliz'd fulphur of the lead ; and will
perhaps argue it from what Beguims re-
lates, that when the Dilf illation is end-
ed, you'l find a Caput Mortuum extream-
ly black,and (as he fpeaks)»#ifa moment'^
as if the Body,or at leaft the chief part of
QL3 the
(23°)
the Metal it felf were* by the di&Uation
carried over the Helme. But fince you
Jcnow as well as I that Saccbarum Saturni
is a kind of Magiftery^made only by cal-
cining of Lead perfi, dilTolving it in di-
ftili'd Vinager, and cryftalizing the fo-
lutionj iflhadleafure to tell You how
Pilfering a thing I did upon examination
find the Caput Mortuum^ fo fleighted by
JleguinuSy to be from what he reprefents
k, I believe you would think the con-
jecture propos'd lefs probable then one
or other of thefe threes either that this
Oyle did formerly concur to conftitutc
the Spirit of Vinager3 and (o that what
partes for a Chymical Principle may yet
be further refoluble into diftind fubftan-
ces; or that fome parts of the Spirit to-
gether with fome parts of the Lead may
conftitute a Chymical Oyle3which there-
fore though it pafs for Homogeneous,
maybe a very compounded Body: or
at leaft that by the aftion of the Diftill'd
Vinagcr and the Saturnine Calx one up-
on another, part of the Liquor may he
fo altered as to be tranfmuted from an
Acid .Spirit into an Oyle. And though
the truth of either of the two former
conjectures would make the example I
have
have refle&ed on more pertinent to my
prcfent argument 3 yet you 1 cafily dis-
cern, the Third arid laft Conjecture
cannot be unferviceable to confirm
fome other patTages of my difcourfe.
To return then to what I was faying
juft before I mention'd Helmont's Ex-
periment, I fhali fubjoyne,That Chy-
mifts rauft confefs alfo that in the per-
fectly Dephlegm'd fpirit of Wine, or 0-
ther Fermented Liquors, that which
they call the Sulphur of the Concrete
lofes5 by the Fermentation, the Proper-
ty of Oyle, (which the Chymifts likewife
take to be the true Sulphur of the Mixt)
of being unminglable with the Water, <^indUr
And if You will credit Belmont, a\\ eSiias^to-
the pureft Spirit of Wine may barely ™odo ub-
by the help of pure Salt of Tartar *"^S„
( which is but the fixed Salt of Wine) brhitoin
be refolvd or Tranfmuted into fcarce^.' -'fc'.
half an ounce of Salt, and as much Ele- cato, vise
mentary Water as amounts tothere-^^
maining part of the mention'd weight. /y#x, <*-
And it may ( as I think I formerly alfo JJJJ* ""
noted) be doubted, whether thatFixt^/jw
and Alcalizate Salt, which is fo unani- %£*&*
naoufly agreed on to be the Saline -Belmont*
Principle of incinerated Bodies, be not, hAura
Q.4 *•«*■
as 'tis Alcalifcate, a Production of the
TFire ? For though the taft of Tartar,
for Example, feem to argue that it
contains a Salt before it be burn'd, yet
that Salt being very Acid is of a quite
Pilfering Taft from the Lixiviate Salt
of Cljalcin'd Tartar. And though it be
not truly Obje&ed againft the Chymifts,
that they obtain all Salts they make,
by reducing the Body they work on
into Afhes with Violent Fires, (fince
Hartshorn , Amber, Blood, and divers
other Mixts yield a copious Salt before
they be burn'd to Afhes ) yet this Vo-
latile Salt Differs much, as we (hall fee
anon, from the Fixt Alcalizate Salt I
fpeak of; which for ought I remem-
ber is not producible by any known
Way, without Incineration. 5Tis not
unknown to Chymifts, that Quickfilver
may be Precipitated, without Addition,
into a dry Powder, that remains fo in
Water. And feme eminent Spagy-
riMh and even Raimund Lully fiimfelf,
teach, that meerly by the Fire Quick-
filver may in convenient Veffels be re-
duc'd ( at leaft in great part ) into a
thin Liquor like Water, and mingla-
ble with iu So that by the bare A&ion
of
Xm)
of the Fire, 'tis poffible, that the parts
of a mixt Body (hould be fo difpos'd
after new and differing manners, that
ft may befometimes of one confidence,
fometimes of another. And may in
one State be difpos'd to be mingl'd
with Water, and in another not. I
could alfo {hew you, that Bodies
from which apart Chymifts cannot ob-
tain any thing that is Combuftible,
may by being affociated together, and
by the help of the Fire, afford an in-
flamable Subftancc. And that on the
other fide, 'tis poffible for a Body to
be mflamable, from which it would ve-
ry much puzzle any ordinary Chymift,
and perhaps any other, to feparate an
inflamable Principle or Ingredient.
Wherefore, fince the Principles of Chy-
mifts may receive their Denominati-
ons from Qualities, which it often ex-
ceeds not the power of Art, nor al-
wayes that of the Fire to produce 5
•And fince fuch Qualities may be found
in Bodies that differ fo much in other
Qualities from one another, that they
need not be allow'd to agree in that
pure and fimple Nature, which Princi-
ples, to be fo indeed, muft have 5 it may
juftly
juftly be fufpe&ed, that many Pro-
ductions of the Fire that are fhew'd
us by Chymifts, as the Principles of j
the Concrete that afforded them, may
be but a new kind of Mixts. And to
annex, on this Occafion, to thefe argu-
ments taken from the Nature of the
thing, one of thofe which Logicians call
ad Homweniy I (hall defire You to take
Notice, that though paracelfut Him-
felf, and fome that are fo miftaken as
to think he could not be fo, have vcn-
tur'd to teach , that not only the bo-
dies here below, but the Elements
themfelves, and all the other Parts of
the Univerfe , are compos'd of Salt,
Sulphur and Mercury 5 yet the learned
SennertuSy and all the more wary Chy-
mifts,have rejeded that conceit, and do
many of them confefs, that the TrU Pri-
ma are each of them made up of the
four Elements; and others of them
make Earth and Water concur with
Salt, Sulphur and Mercury, to the Con-
stitution of Mixt bodies.' So that one
fort of thefe Spagyrifls, notwithstanding
the fpecious Titles they give to the pro-
ductions of the Fire, do in effect grant
what I contend for. And, of the o-
ther
(235)
therfort I may well demand, to what
Kind of Bodies the Phlegme and dead
Earth, to be met with in Chymical Re-
folutions, are to be referr'd I For either
they muft fay , with Paracdfa, but a-
gainft their own Conceflions as well as
againft Experience, that thefe are alfo
compos'd of the TriaPrima^ whereof
they cannot feparate any one from ei-
ther of them , or elfe they muft con-
fefs that two of the vafteft Bodies here
below, Earth, and Water,are neither of
them compos'd of the Tria Frim* %
and that confequently thofe three are
not the Univerfal, and Adequate In-
gredients, neither of all Sublunary Bo-
dies, nor even of all mixt Bodies.
I know that the chief of thefe Chy-
miftsreprefent,that though the Diftind
Subftances into which they divide mixt
bodies by the Fire, are not pure and Ho-
mogeneous; yet fince the four Elements
into which the AriBotelim pretend to
refolve the like bodies by the fame A-
gent, are not fimple neither, asthem-
felves acknowledge, 'tis as allowable
for the Chymifts to call the one Princi-
ples, as for the Peripateticks to call the
other Elements j fince in both cafes the
Im-
!
Impofition of the name is grounded on-
ly upon the Predominancy of that Ele-
ment whofe name is afcribd to it. Nor
fhall I deny, that this Argument of the
Chymifts is no ill one againft the Arifto-
telims. But what Aniwercan it prove
to me, who you know am difpu ting a-
gainft the AriHotel,an Elements ,
as the Ghymicall Principles, and muft
not look upon any body as a true Prin-
ciple or Element, but as yet compoun-
ded, which is not perfe&ly Homogene-
ous, but is further Refoluble into any
number of Diftind Subftances how
(ball foever. And as for the Chymifts
calling a body Salt, or Sulphur, or Mer-
cury, upon pretence that the Principle
of the fame name is predominant in it,
That it felf is an Acknowledgment of
what I contend for ; namely that thefe
productions of the Fire, are yet com-
pounded bodies. And yet whilftthis is
granted, k is affirmed, but not prov'd,
that the reputed Salt, or Sulphur, or
Mercury, confifts mainly of one body
that deferves the name of a principle
of the fame Denomination. For how
do Chymifts make it appear that there
are any fuch primitive and fimple bo-
dies,
(^37)
idies in thofe we are fpeaking of 5 fincc
'tis upon the matter confefs'd by the an-
fwer lately made,that thefe are notfuch?
And if they pretend by Reafon to evince
what they affirm , what becomes of
their confident boafts, that the Chymifts
(whom the;y therefore, after Beguim >ca\\
aPbilafophtts or Opifex Senfatus ) can con-
vince our Eyes, by manifeftly (hewing in
any mixt body thofe fimple fubftances he
teaches them to be compos'd of ? And
indeed , for the Chymifts to have recourfe
in this cafe to other proofs then Experi-
ments, as it is to wave the grand Argu-
ment that has all this while been given
out for a Demonftrative One , fo k re-
leafesmefromthe obligation to profe-
cute a Difpute wherein I am not engag'd
to Examine any but Experimental!
proofs. I know it may plaufibly E~
noughbe Reprefented,in favour of the
Chymifts3that it being evident that much
the greater part of any thing they call
Salt, or Sulphur, or Mercury, is really
fuch , it would be very rigid to deny
thofe Subltances the names afcribed
them, only becaufeof fome Height mix-
ture of another Body , fmce not only the
Peripateticks call particular parcels of
matter
(238)
matter Elementary, though they ac-
knowledge that Elements are not to be
anywhere found pure,at leatt here belowj
And fince efpecially there is a manifeft
Analogic and Refemblance betwixt the
bodies obtainable by Chymical Anato-
mies and the principles whofe names are
given them 5 I have, I fay, confider'd
that thefe things may be reprefented t
But as for what is drawn from the Cu-
ftome of the Peripateticks., I have alrea-
dy told You, that though it may be em-
ploy'd againft Them, Yet it is not availa-
ble againit me who allow nothing to be
an Element that is not perfectly Homo-
geneous. And whereas it is alledg'd,
that the Predominant Principle ought to
give a name to the fubftance wherein it
abounds 5 I anfwer, that that might
much more rcafonably be faid, if either
we or the Chymifts had feen Nature take
pure Salt, pure Sulphur, and pure Mer-
curj, and compound of them every fort
of Mixt Bodies. But, fince 'tis to expe-
rience that they appeal, we muft not
take it for granted,that the Diftill'd Oyle
(for inftance ) of a plant is mainly com-
pos'd of the pure principle call'dSulphur,
till they have given us an ocular proof,
char
that there is in that fort of Plants fuch
an Homogeneous Sulphur. For as for
tbefpecious argument, which is drawn
from the Refemblance betwixt the Pro-
ductions of the Fire, and the Refpe&ive,
either Aristotelian Elements, or Cbymical
Principles, by whofe names they are
call'dj it will appear more plaufible then
cogent,if You will but recall to mind the
ftateofthe controverfiej which is] nor5
whether or no there be obtain'd from
mixt Bodies certain fubftances that a-
gree in outward appearance, or in fome
Qualities with Quickfilver or Brimftone5
or fome fuch obvious or copious Body 5
But whether or no all Bodies confefs'd to
be perfe&ly mixt were compos'd of, and
arerefolubleintoa determinate number
of primary urimixt Bodies. For, if You
keep the ftate of the queftion in your
Eye, you'l eafily difcerne that there is
much of what (houldbe Demonftrated,
leftunprov'dby thofc Chymical Experi-
ments we are Examining. But ( not to
repeat what I have already difcover'd
more at large ) I {hall now take notice,
that it will not prefently follow, that be-
caufe a Production of the Fire has fome
affinity with fome of the greater Maffes
of
( *4° )
of matter here below, that therefore
they are both of the fame Nature, and
deferve the fame Name 5 for the
Chymitts are not content, that flame
fl\o\x\d be look't upon as a parcel of
the Element of Fire, though it be hot5
dry, and a&ive, becaufe it wants fome
other Qualities belonging to the nature
of Elementary fire. Nor will they let
the Peripateticks call Afhes, or Quick-
lime, Earth, notwithstanding the many
likeneiTes between them 5 becaufe they
are not taftleflfe, as Elementary Earth
ought to be ; But if you fhould ask me>
what then it is, that all the Chymical
Anatomies of Bodies do prove, if they
prove not that they confift of the three
Principles into which the fire refolves
them? I anfwer,that their Diffe&ions
may be granted to prove, that fome mixt
bodies (for m many it will not hold) are
by the fire, when they arc included in
clofe VefTels, ( for that Condition alfo is
often requifite ) dilTolube into feveral Sub
fiances differing in fome Qualities , but
principally in Confiftence.so that out of
moft of them may be obtain'd a fixt fub-
ftance partly faline,and partly infipid, an
un&uous Liquo^ and another Liquor or
more
(MO
more that without being un&uous have a
manifeft tafte. Now if Chymifts will
agree to call the dry and fapid fubftancc
fait, the Uncluous liquor Sulphur, and
the other Mercury, I fhall not much
quarrel with them for fo doing ; But if
they will tell me that Salt, Sulphur, and
Mercury, are fimple and primary bodies
whereof each mixt body was actually
Compounded, and which was really in it
antecedently to the operation of the fire,
they muft give me leave to doubt whe-
ther ( whatever their other arguments
may do) their Experiments prove all
this. And if they will alfotellme that
the Subftances their Anatomies are-wont
to afford them, are pure and fimilar, as
Principles ought to be, they muft give
me leave to believe my ownfenfes \ and
their own confelfions, before their bare
Affertions. And that you may not
( Elemberius ) think I deal fo rigidly with
them, becaufe I fcruple to Take thefe
Productions of the Fire for fuch as the
Chymifts would have them pafs for, up-
on the account of their having fome af-
finity with them ; confider a little with
me,that in regard an Element ©r Princi-
ple ought to be perfc&ly Similar and
R Homo-
(242}
Homogeneous, there is no juftcaufe why
I Should rather give the body propos'd
the Name of this or that Element or
Principle, becaufe it has a refembiance
to it in fome obvious Quality, rather
then deny it that name upon the account
of divers other Qualities, wherein the
propos'd Bodies are unlike ; and if you
do but confider what fleight and eaiily
producible qualities they are that fufrice *
asl have already more then once obferv'd,
to Denominate a Chymical Principle or
an Element's you'liiot^ I hdpc^ think my
warinefs to be deftitute either of Exam-
ple, or clfe of Reafon. For we fee that
the Chymi'ffswili not allow the Aripo-
tel'Um that the Salt m Afhes ought robe
called Earth, though the Saline and Ter-
teftrial part fyrnbolize in weight, in dry-
nefs, in Exnefs and fufibility, only be-
caufe the oite is fapid .and diffoluble in
Watered the other nor:Befides,we fee
that fapidnefs and volatility are wont to
denominate the ChymirV' Mercury .or
Spirit ', and yet how many Bodies, think
you, may agree in thofe Qualities which
rnay yet fee of very differing natures, and
difagrcein qualities either more nume-
rous., or more coniidctableg or both. For
1305
(H3)
faot only Spirit of Nitre , Aqua Ft>r*
tis, Spirit of Salt, Spirit of Oyle of
Vitriol, Spirit of Allomc, Spirit of Vi-
llager, and all Saline Liquors Diftill'd
from Animal Bodies, but all the A-
cetous Spirits of Woods freed from
their Vinager ; All thefe, I fay , and
many others mujft belong to the Chy-
mifts Mercury, though it appear not
why fome of them fnould more be
comprehended under one denomina-
tion then the Chymifts Sulphur , or
Oyle fhould likewife be 5 for their Di-
ftill'd Oyles are alfo Fluid , Volatile,
and Taftable, as well as their Mer-
cury 5 Nor is it Neceffary , that
their Sulphur fliould be Unftudus or
PifToluble in Water, fince they gene-
rally referr Spirit of Wine to Sulphurs,
although that Spirit be not Un&uous.,
and will freely mingle wirh Water.
So that bare Inflamability muft con-
flitute the EiTence of the Chymifts
Sulphur 5 as uninflamablenefle joyn-
ed with any tafte is enough to intitle
a Diftill'd Liquor to be their Mercury.
Now fince I can further obferve to You,
that Spirit of Nitre and Spirit of Harts-
horne being pour'd together will boile
II 2 and
(244)
and biffe and toue up one another,
into the air y which the Chymifts
make f ignes of great Antipathy in the
Natures of Bodies ( as indeed thefq
Spirits differ much both in Taftc,Smell,
and Operations \ ) Since I clfewhere
tell you of my having made two forts
of Oyle out of the fame mans
blood,, that would not mingle with
one another 5 And fince I might tell
You Divers Examples I have met
with, of the Contrariety of Bodies
which according to the Chymifts muft
be huddl'd up together under one Deno-
mination ; I leave you to Judge whether
fuch a multitude of Subltances as
may agree in thefe Height Qualities,
and yet Dif agree in "Others more
Confiderable , are more worthy to
be call'd by the Name of a Pfinci-
ple ( which ought to be pure and \
homogcrieous, ) than to have appellati-
ons given them that may make them dif»
fer, in name too, from the bodies from
which they fo wildly differ in Nature,
And hence alfo, by the bye, you may
perceive that 'tis not unreafonable to di-
ftruft the Chymifts way of Argumenta- I
tbn^when being unable to few us that;
fuch
( H5 )
fuch a Liquor is ( for Example ) purely
faline, they prove, that at lead ialt is
much the predominant principle, becaufe
that the propos'd fubttance is ftrongly
tatted, and all Taft proceeds fromfalts
whereas thofe Spirits, fuch as fpirit of
Tartar,fpirit of Harts-horn, and the like,
which are reckoned to be the Mercuries
of the Bodies that afford them, have
manifeftly a ftrong and piercing taft, and
fo has ( according to what 1 formerly
noted ) the fpirit of Box &c. even after
the acid Liquor that concurrd to com-
pofe it has been feparated from it. And
indeed, if fapidnefs belong not to the fpi-
rit or Mercurial Principle of Vegitables
and Animals : I fcarce know how it
will be difcriminated from their phlegm,
fincebythe abfenceof Infkmability it
muft be diftinguifh'd from their fulphur,
which affords me another Example, to
prove how unacurate the Chymical Do-
ctrine is in our prefent Cafe ; (ince not
only the fpirits of Vegitables and Ani-
mals, but their Oyles are very ftrongly
tafted,as he that ("hall but wet his tongue
with Chymical Gyle of Cinnamon, or of
Gloves,or even of Turpentine,may quick-
ly find, to his fmart. And not only I
K I never
(24<0
never try'd any Chymical Oyles whofe
taft was not very manifeft and ftrongjbut
a skilful and inquifitive perfon who made
it his bufmefs by elaborate operations to
depurate Chymical Oyles, and reduce
them to an Elementary fimplicity, In-
formesus,that he never was able to make
them at all Taftlefs ; whence I might
infers that the proof Chymifts confi-
dently give us of a bodies being faline, is
fo far from demoaftra ting the Predomi-
nancy, that it does not clearly Evince fo
much as the prefence of the faline Prin-
ciple in it. But 1 will not ( purfues Car-
fteadesj remind you, that the Volatile
fait of Harts-horn, Amber, Blood, &c,
are exceeding ftrongly fcented, notwith-
ftanding that moft Chymifts deduce O-
dours from Sulphur, and from them ar-
gue the Predominancy of that Principle
in the Odorous body, becaufe I muftnot
fo much as add any new Examples of the
incompetency of this fort of Chymical
arguments, fince having already detain'd
You but too long in thofe generals that
appertain to my fourth confideratioa,
'tis time that I proceed to the particulars
themfelves, to which I thought fit they
fhould be previous:
Thefe
(247)
"Thefe Generals ( continues Cavmades)
being thus premised, we might the better
furvey the Unlikenefs that an attentive
and unprepoiTefs'd obferver may take no-
tice of in each fort of Bodies which the
Chymifts are wont to call the faltsor
fulphurs or Mercuries oi the Concretes
that yield "Them, as if they had alia
fimplicity3and Identity of Nature.-whcre-
asfalts if they were all Elementary
would as little differ as do the Drops of
pure and fimple Water. 'Tis known
that both Chymifts and Phyfitians af-
cribe to the fixt faltsof calcin'd Bodies
the venues of their concretes; and con-
fequently very differing Operations. So
we find the Alkali of Wormwood much
commended in diftempers of the fto-
mach y that of.Eyebright for thofe that
have a weak fight 5 and that of Gn&iAcum
( of which a great Quantity yields but a
very little fait ) is not only much com-
mended in Venereal Difeafes 3 but_ is
believed to have a peculiar purgative
vertue, which yet I have not had occa-
sion to try. And though, I confefs, I
have long, thought, that thefe AlkalizAte
(alts are/or the mod: part,very neer of kinj,
and retain very little of the properties or
R 4 the
(24S)
the Concretes whence they were fepa*
rated 5 Yet being mlndeci to Obferve
watchfully whether I could meet with
any Exceptions to this General Obferva-
tion, I obferv'd at the GlafTe-houfe, that
fometimes the Metal ( as the Workmen
call it ) or MalTe of colliquated Ingredi-
ents, which by Blowing they fafhion in^
to Veffels of divers fhapes, did fome-
times prove of a very differing colour,and
a fomewhat differing Texture^ rom what
was ufuall. And having enquired whe-*
ther the caufe of fuch Accidents might
not be derived from the peculiar Nature
of the fixe fait employ'd to bring the
fand to fufion, I found that the know-
ingft Workmen imputed thefe Mif-ad-
venturesto the Afhes, of feme certain
kind of Wood5 as having obferv'd the
ignobler kind of Giafs Hately mentioned
to be frequently produe'd when they had
employ'd fuch forts of Afhes which
therefore they fcruple to makeufe of, if
they took notice of them beforehand. I
remember ajfo, that an Induftrious Man
of my acquaintance having bought a
vaft quantity of Tobacco ftalks to make a
fef Salt with, I had the Curiofity to go
fee whether that Exotick Plant, which
fo much abounds in volatile fait, woul$
afford a peculiar kind of Ale alt 5 and I
was pleas'd to find that in the Lixivium
of it, it was not neceifary, as is ufual^
to evaporate all the Liquor, that there
might be obtain'd a Saline Calx, con-
fitting like lime quench'd in the Air of a
heap of littleCorpufcIes of unregarded
fhapes : but the flxt fait (hot into figur'd
Cryftal, almoft as Nitre or Sal-armom-
&ck and other uncalcin'd falts are wont
to do 5 And I further remember that I
have obferv'd in the fixt Salt of Urine ,
brought by depuration to be very white,s
taft not fo unlike to that of common falt3
and very differing from the wonted cau-
ftick Lixiviate taft of other falts made by
Incineration. But becaufe the Inftances
I have alledg'd of the Difference of Alca-
lizdte{&x are but few, and therefore I
am ftill inclin'd to think, that moft Chy-
mtfts and many Phyfitians do, inconfide-
ratly enough and without Warrant from
Experience, afcribe the Vermes of the
Concretes expos'd to Calcination, to the
falts obtain'd by it 5 I (hall rather, to
few the Difparity of falts, mention in
the firft Place the apparent Difference
tetwixt the Vegetable fixt falts and the
Ant-
(25Q)
Animal Volatile ones : As ( for Ex-
ample ) betwixt fait of Tartar, and fal$.
of Harts-horn $ whereof the former is
fo fixt that 'twill indure the brunt of a
violent Fire,andftand in fufion like a Me-
tal y whereas the other ( befides that it
has a differing taft and a very differing
fmell ) is fo far from being fixt, that it
will fly away in a gentle heat as eafilyas
fpirit of Wine it felf. And to this I
ihall add, in the next place. That even
among the Volatile falts themfelvcs ,
there is a confiderable Difference, as ap-
pears by the diftinft Properties of (for
Inftance) fait of Amber, fait of Urine,
fait of Mans Skull, ( fo much extoll'd a-
gainft the falling Sicknefle > and divers
others which cannot cfcape an ordinary
Obferver. And this Diversity of Vola-
tile fairs I have obfcrv'd to be fomtimcs
Difcemable even to the Eye, in their
Figures. For the fait of Harts-horn I
have obferv'd to adhere to the Receiver
in the forme almoft of a Parallelippedovi
and of the Volatile fait of humane blood
flong digefted before diftillation, with
fpirit of Wine) Icanfhew you ftoreof
grainesof that Figure which Geometrici*
m call a Rhombus ■> though I dare not
under-
undertake that the Figures of thefe oro-
ther Saline Cryftals ( if I may fo call
Them ) willbealwaiesthe fame5 what-
ever degree of Fire have been employ'd
to force them up, or how haftily foevcr
they have been made to convene in the
(pints or liquors, in the lower part of
which! have ufually obferv'cl them af-
ter a while to {hoot. And although,
as I lately told You, I feldom found a-
ny Difference, as to Medical Venues, in
the fixt Salts of Divers Vegetables ; and
•accordingly I hiave fufpe&ed that moft
of thefe volatile Salts, having fo great a
Refemblanceinfmell, in taft,and fugi-
tivenefs, differ but little , if. at all, in
their Medicinal properties .* As indeed
I have found them generally to agree in
divers of them (as
in their heina fnmr- En °l vero fer d^Uat'^e,» nohh
intncirDeingiome- mon^m Mm spirmm fttimm
What DiaphoretlCK plane volatilem odore nequicquam
and very Deopila- li »ec&wh WingumiemafpmtH
'J T " Vrw, In eo tamen ejjentiahter
•tive; 1 et 1 remem- diver/uw^uodfpiritus talis cruoris
ber Helmont fome- l?rf ETJ!eTf'am^on autemfpirim
, . c falis lonii
.Where mrormes US, Helmcnt. Aura Vitalis.
i that there is this
j Difference betwixt the faline fpirit of U-
rineand that of Mans blood, that the
former will not cure the Epilcpfy 5
but
(2 5 2>
but the Latter will. Of the Ef-
ficacy alfo of the Salt of Common
-Amber againft the fame Difeafe in
Childrens (for m Grown Perfons ic
is not a fpecifick ) I may elfewhere
have an Occaflon to Entertain You.
And when I confider that to the ol>
taking of thefe Volatile Salts ( efpe-
cially that of Urine ) there is not rcqui-
fite fuch a Deftru&ive Violence of the
Fire, as there is to get thofe Salts that
muft be made by Incineration, I am the
more invited to conclude, that they'
may differ from one another, and con-
fequently recede from a$ Elementary
Simplicity. And, if I could here (hew
You what Mr. Boyle has Obferv'd,
touching the Various Chymicali Di-
minutions of Salts ; You would quickly
difcern, not only that Chymifts do give
themfclves a ftrange Liberty to call
Concretes Salts, that are according to
their own Rules, to be look'd upon as
very Compounded Bodies ; but that a-
mong thofe very Salts that feem Ele-
mentary, becaufe produe'd upon the
Anatomy of the Bodies that yield
them, there is not onlyavifible Difpa-'
rity, but, to fpeak in the common Lar
g«age3
(253)
guage, a rmnifeft Antipathy or Contra-
riety: As is evident in the Ebullition
and hilling that is wont to enfue ,
when the Acid Spirit of Vitrioll, for
Inftance, is pour'd upon pot afhes, or
Salt of Tartar. And I {hall beg leave
of this Gentleman, fayes Carneades^ cart-
ing his Eyes on me, to let me obferve
to You out of fame of his papers, par-
ticularly thofe wherein he treats of lome
Preparations of Urine, that not only
one and the fame body may have two
Salts of a contrary Nature > as he ex-
emplifies in the Spirit and Alkali of
Nitre ; but, that from the fame body
there may without addition be obtained
three differing and Vifible Salts, For
He Relates, that he obferv'd in Urine,
not only a Volatile and Cryftalline
Salt, and a fixe Salt, but likewife a kind
of Sal Armani ack^ or fuch a Salt as
would fublime in the form of a fait,
and therefore wasnotfixr, and yet was
far from being {0 fugitive as the Vo^
latile fait ; from which it feem'd alfo o-
therwife to differ .1 have indeed fufpected
I that this may be a Sal Armoniack proper-
ty enough fo call'd, as Compounded of
1 the Volatile fait of Urine, and the fixt
of
bf the fame Liquor, whidb3 as I noted,
is not unlike fca-falt ; but that ft felf
argues a manifcft Difference betwixt
the falts, fiiKe fuch a Volatile fait is
not wont to Unite thus with an ordi-
nary Alcdij but to fly away from k in
the Hear. And on this occafion I re-
member that, to give fome of my
Friends an Ocular proof of the diffe-
rence betwixt the fixt and Volatile fait
( of the fame Concrete ) Wood, I de-
vis'd the following Experiment. I took
common Venetian fublimate, and dif-
folv'd as much of it as I well could in
fair Water ; then I took Wood Afhes,
and pouring on them VVarme Water,
DiiTolv'd their falts and filtrating the
Water, as foon as I found the Lixi-
vium furHciently fharp Upon the tongue,
I referv:d it for ufe : Then on part of
the former folution of fublimate drop-
ping a little of this DiiTolv'd. Fixt fait
of Wood, the Liquors prefentlyturn'd
of an Orange Colour 5 but upon the
other part of the clear folution of fub-
limate putting fome of the Volatile
fait of Wood ( which abounds in the
fpirit of foot ) the Liquor immediately
turn'd white, alm'oft like Milke, and af-
ter '
(Hit
terawhile let fall a white fediment,
as the other Liquor did a Yellow one.
To all this that I ... , .
iiM.X?fwil ~ in Altqvando oleum CinMmomiJHt*
have laid concern- fk^m lufrmiftim abfqueom-
ingthe Difference nt *&***?***' faerfum Artificiof*
rtf fairs \xTi\crhtnAA - ?Cc«^,«e circulatione^ totum in
onaits,! might add Jdlem mlatUem comr;ktanim eJt,
What I rormerlV ^Imont.-Tria Prima Cbymkorum*
told you, concern- &c* pag'Al2'
fog the fimple fpirit of Box, and fuel*
like Woods, which differ much from
the other falts hitherto mention'd^and
yet would belong to the falirie Princi-
ple, if Chymifts did truly teach that
all Tafe proceed from' it. And!
might alfo annex, what I noted to you
out of Helmont concerning Bodies,
which, though they confrft in great
part of Chymical Oyles, do yet ap-
pear but Volatile falts ; But to infift on
thefc things, were to repeat 5 and there-
fore I (hall proceed.
This Difparity is alfo highly eminent
in the feparated fulphurs or Chymical
Oyles of things. For they contain To
much of the 'fcerrt,arid taft,.arid venues,
of; the Bodies whence they were drawn.,
that they feem to Material
c^p (if I may befr
Concretes, Thus '
mou,
mon, Cloves, Nutmegs and other fpK
ces, feem to be but the United Aroma-
tick parts that did ennoble thofe Bo-
dies. And 'tis a known thing, that Oyl
of Cinnamon > and oyle of Cloves,
(which I have likewife obferv'd in the
Oyles of feveral Woods ) will fink to
the Bottom of Water : whereas thofe
of Nutmegs and divers other Vcge*
tables will fwim upon it. The Oyle
< abufively call'd fpirit ) of Rdfes fwims
at the Top of the Water in the forme
of a white butter, which I remember
not to have obferv'd in any other Oyle
drawn in any Limbeck ; yet there is a
way ( not here to be dcclar'd ) by
which 1 have feen it comd over in the
forme of other Aromatick Oyles, to the
■Delight and Wonder of thofe that be-
held it. In Oyle of Annifeeds, which
I drew both with, and without Fer-
mentation, I obferv'd the whole Body
of the Oyle in a coole place to thicken
into the Confidence and Appearance
of white Butter, which with the leaft
heat refum'd its Former Liquidnefs. In
the Oyl of Olive drawn over in a Re-
tort, I have likewife more then once
feen a fpontaneous Coagulation in the
Re-
(257)
Receiver: And I have of it by me
thus Congeal'd 5 which is of fuch a
firangely Penetrating fcent, as if 'twould
Perforate the Nofcs that approach k.
The like pungent Odour I alfo obferv'd
in the Diitiird Liquor of common fope,
which fore'd over from Minium, lately
afforded an oyle of a moft admirable
Penetrances And he mull: be a great
Granger, both to the Writings and pre-
parations of Chymilts, that fees not in
the Oyles they diftili from Vegetables
and Animals ,' a confiderable and obvi-
ous Difference. Nay I (hall venture
to add yEleutherws, ( what perha'ps you
will think of kin to a Paradox ) that di-
vers times out of the fame Animal or Ve-
getable, there may be extrafted Oyles
of Natures obvioufly differing. To
which purpofel (hall not infift on the
fvvimming and finking Oyles , which I
have fometimes obferv'd 'to float on,
and fubfide under the fpirit of Gttajd~
cum, and that of divers other Vegeta-
bles DiftuTd with a ftrong and lading
Fire 5 Nor (hall I infift on the obfer-
vation elfewhcre mention'd2 of the di-
ners and unminglable oyles afforded us
by Humane Blood long fermented and
(258)
Digefted with fpirit of Wine, becaufe
thefe kind of oylcs may feem chiefly
to differ in Conflitence and Weighs
being all of tjaem high colour'd and a-
duft. But the Experiment which I de-
vis'd to make out this Difference of the
oyles of the fame Vegetable, ad Owr
lum*, fas they fpeak ) was this that
• followes. I took a pound of Annif-
feeds, and having grofly beaten them,
caufed them to be put into a very
large glafs Retort almoft filled with
fair Water 5 and placing this Retort in
a fand Furnace, I caus'd a very Gentle
heat to be adminiftcr'd during the firft
day, and a great part of the fecond.
till the Water was for the mod pari
drawn off, and had brought over with it
atleaftmoftof the Volatile and Aro-
matick Oyle of the feeds. And then
encreafmg the Fire, and changing the
Receiver, I obtain'd befides an Empy-
reumatical Spirit, a quantity of aduft
oyle , whereof a little floated upon the
Spirit, and the reft was more heavy,and
not eafily feparable from it. And
whereas thefe oyles were very dark,
and fmell'd ( as Chymifts fpeak ) fo
ftrongly of the Fire 3,that their Odour
did
did not betray from what Vegetables
they had been forced ; the other Aroma-
tick Oyle was enrich'd with the genuine
fmell and raft of the Concrete ;and fpon-
taneoufly coagulating it felf into white
butter did ma nifeft felf to be the true
Oyle of AnnifTeeds; which Concrete I
therefore chofe to employ about this Ex-
periment, that the Difference of thefe
Oyles might be more confpicuous then it?
would have been, had I inftead of it de-
ftiU'd another Vegetable.
I had almoft forgot to take notice,
that there is another fort of Bodies,which
though not obtained from Concretes by
Diililiaiion^ many Ghymiits are wont
to call their Sulphur 3 not only becaufe
fuch fubftances are/or the moft part,higH
colour'd (whence they are alfo, and that
more properly, called Tindiures ) as &[-
iolv'd Sulphurs are wont to be ; butefpe-
cially becaufe- they are, for the moll;
part, abftracted and feparated from the
reft of the MafTc by Spirit of Wine ;
which Licjuorthofe men fuppofing to be
Sulphureous,they conclude, that what it
works upon,and abftra&s, muft be a Sul-
phur alfo. And upon this account they
prcfume^that they can fequefter the ful-
S a phur
phut even of Minerals and Metalls $from
which 'tis known that they cannot by
Fire alone feparate it.. To all This I
t'hall anfwer , That if thefe fequeftred
ftibftanccs where indeed the fulphurs of
the Bodies whence they are drawn ,there
would as well be a great Difparity be^
twijee Chymtcal Sulphurs obtain'd by
Spirit df Wine, as I. have already (hewn
there is betwixt thofe obtain'd by DiftiU
lati&ain the forme of Oyles ; which will
be evident from hence, that not to urge
that themfejves afcribe diftinct vertues to
Mineral Tinc\ires5extolling the Tincture
ofGoldagainfi; fuchand inch Difeafes;
the Tincture. of Antimony, or of its
Glafs, againft others; and the Tincture of
Emcrauld againft others; 'tis plain,that in
Tin&urcs drawn from Vegetables, if the
iuperfluous fpirit of Wine be diftilFd off,
it leaves at the bottom that thicker fub-
&mce which Chymifts ufe to call the
Extract of the Vegetable. And that
thefe; Extracts are endow'd with very
differing Qualities according to the Na-
ture of the Particular Bodies that afforr
dc;d them ( though I fear feldom with
fo much of the fpecifick vertues as is
Worn p be imagin'd ) is freely confefs'd
both
0*0
both by Phyfuians and Chymifls. But',
ElnttheriuS} ( fayes Camea'des) we may
here take Notice that the Chymifls do
as. well in this cafe, as in many others,
allow themfelvcs a Licenfc to abufe
Words : For nqt again to argue from
the differing properties of Tincturcs,tbat
they arc not exactly pure and Elemental
ry Sulphurs^ they wotild cafily appear
not to be fo much as .Sulphur's, although
we fhbuld allow Chymical Oyles to de-
fcrvethat Name. For however in fomg
Mineral Tinctures the Natural fixtnefs of
the extracted Body docs not alwayes
fuffer it to beeafily further refolublc in-
to differing fubftanccs ; Yet in very ma-
ny extracts drawn from Vegetables, it
may very cafily be manifefted that the
fpirit of Wine has not fequeftred the
fulphureous Ingredient from the falrre
and Mercurial ones 5 but has diffolv'd
( for I take it to be a Solution ) the finer
Parts of the Concrete ( without making
any nice diftinction of their being perfect-
ly Sulphureous o'r not ) and united itfelf
with them into a kind of Magiftery 5
which confcquently 'muft contain Ingres
dients or Parts of feveral forts. For we
fee that the ftones that are rich in vitriol^
S 3 being
(262)
being often drench'd with rain-Watcrj
the Liquor will then extract a fine and
tranfparent. fubitance coagulable in-
to Vitriol; and yet though this Vitriol
be readily ditToIuble in Water, it is not
a true Elementary Salt , but, as You
know, a body .refoluble into very differ-
ing Parts, whereof one pas T fhall have
occafion to tell You anon) is yet of a
Metalline, and confcquently'rjot of anE- i
lcmcntary Nature. You may confider j
alfo, that common Sulphur is readily dif-
foluble in Oyle of Turpentine, though
notwithstanding its Name it abounds as
well 3 if not as much, in Salt as in true
Sulphur ; witnefs the great quantity of
(aline Liquor it affords being fet to flame
away under a glafife Bell, Nay I have,
which perhaps You will think ftrange,
with the fame Oyle of Turpentine alone
cafily enough dirtolv'd crude Antimony
finely powder d into a Blood-red Balfam,
wherewith perhaps confidcrable things
maybe performed in Surgery. And If
ft were now Requifite, I could tell You
offome other Bodies ( fuch as Perhaps
You would not fufpectj) that! have been
able to Work upon with certain Chymi-
cal Oyles.But infead of digref&ng further
(2*3)
I (hall make this ufe of the Example I
have nam'd. That 'tis not unlikely, but
that Spirit of Wine which by its pun-
gent taft, and by fome other Qualities
that argue it better (efpecially its Re-
ducibleneiTe, according to Belmont^ into
Mcali, andWater,)feemstobe as well
or a Saline as of a Sulphureous Nature,,
may well be fuppos'd Capable of
Diitblving Subftances That are hot
nieerly Elementary fulphurs , though
perhaps they may abound with Parts
that arc of kin thereunto. For I find
that Spirit of Wine will diffolve Gumm
Lacca, Benzoine^ and the &?//#oj/s Parts o£
Jallap, and even of Gmacum ; whence
We may well fufpecl: that it may from
Spices, Herbs, and other le{fe com-
pacted Vegetables 3 extract fubftances
that are not per feci: Sulphurs but mixt
Bodies. And to put it paft Difpute,
there is many a Vulgar Extract drawn
with Spirit of Wine^which committed f€f
Diftillation will afford fuch differing
fubftances as will Loudly proclaim it to
have been a very compounded Body.
So that we may juftly fufpecl, that e-
ven in Mineral Tinctures it will not alj
waies follow3that becaufe a red fubftance
(2*4)
is drawn from the Concrete by fpfric of
Wine, that Subftance is its true and Ele-
mentary Sulphur. And though fome
-of thefc Extracts may perhaps be infla-
mable. Yet befides that others are not,
and befides that their being reducM to
iiich Minutenefs of Parts may much fa-
cilitate their taking Fire 5 befides this, I
fay, We lee that common Sulphur.,
common Oyle , Gumm Lac, and ma*
ny Unctuous and Refinous Bodies, will
flame well enough, though they be of
very compounded natures : Nay Tra-
vellers of Unfufpe&ed Credit affure
Us, as a known thing, that in fome Nor-
thern Countries where Firr trees and
Pines abound, the poorer Tort of Inha-
bitants ufe Long fplintcrs of thofe Refi-
nous Woods to burne inftead of Candles.
AndasfortheredneiTe wont to be met
with in fuch fokuions, I could eafily
fhew, that 'tis not neceffary it fhould
proceed from the Sulphur of the Con-
crete, Diffolv'dby the Spirit of Wine; if
1 had leafure to manifeft how much
Chymifts are wont to delude themfelves
and others by the Ignorance of thofe ci-
ther caufes upon whofe account fpirit of
\Winc and other Menpuums may acquire
(*6%)
a red or Tome other high colour. Bat
to returne to our Chymical Oyles, fup-
pofing that they were exa&ly pure >
Yet I hope they would be, as thcbeft
fpirit of Wine is, but the more infla-
mable and deflagrable. And therefore
fince an Oyle can be by the Fire alone im-
mediately turn'd into flame, which is
iomething of a very differing Nature
from it : I (hall Demand how this
Oyle can be a Primogeneal and Incor-
ruptible Body, as moil Chymifts would
have their Principles 5 Since it is further
refoluble into flame, which whether or
no it be a portion of the Element of
Fire, as an Ari$ote\iM would conclude,
is certainly fomething of a very differ-
ing Nature from a Chymical Oyle, fince
k burncs, and (nines, and mounts fwiftly
upwards 5 none of which a Chymical
Oyle does , whilft it continues fuch.
And if it (hould be Objeaed, that the
Diflipated Parts of this flaming Ovle
I maybe caught and colMed again into
I Oyl or Sulphur 5 I (hail demand, what
I Chymift appears to have ever done itj
| and without Examining whether it may
H not hence be as well fafd that fulphuris
J but compared Fire, as that Fire is but
dif-
(266)
diffus'd .Sulphur > I fliall leave you to
confider whether it may not hence be
argu d, that neither Fire nor Sulphur
are primitive and indeftruftible Bodies ;
and I {hall further obierve that, at leait
it will hence appear that a portion of
matter may without being Compoun-
ded with new Ingredients, by having
the Texture and Motion of its fmali
parts chang'd, beeafily, by the means
of the Fire, endowed with new Quali-
ties, more differing from them it had be-
fore, then are thofe which fuifice to
difcriminate the Chymifts Principles
from one another.
We are next to Confider, whether
in the Anatomy of mixt Bodies, that
which Chymifts call the Mercurial part
of them bcun-compounded,orno. But
to tell You True, though Chymifts do
Unanimouily affirm that their Refoluti-
ons difcover a Principle, which tbcy^
call Mercury, yet I find them to give ot
it Defcriptions fo Differing, and fo
t/£nigmaticall, that I, who am not a-
foamed to confefs that I cannot under*
ftand what is not fence, muft acknow-
ledge to you that I know not what to
make of them, paracelfits himfelf, and
there*
( 2*7-)
therefore, as you will ea% believe, ma-
ny of his Followers, does fomewhere
call thar Mercury which afcends upon
the burning of Wood, as the Peripate-
ticks are wont to take the fame {moke
for Airs and fo feems to define Mer-
cury by Volatility , or (if I may coyne
fnch a Word ) Eifumability. But fince3
fa this Example, both Volatile Salt and
Sulphur make part of the fmokc, which .
does indeed confift alfoboth of Phleg-
matick and Terrene Corpufcles, this
Notion is not to be admitted 5 And I
find that the more fober Chymifts them-
felves difavow it. Yet to fhew you how
little of clearnefs we are to expert in the
accounts even of latter Spagyrifts, be
jpleas'd to take notice, that Beguinus, c-
ven in his Tirocinium Chjmicum, written
for the Inftru&ion of Novices, when he
comes to tell us what are meant by the
Tria Prima, which for their being
Principles ou^ht to be defm'd the more
accurately and plainly, gives us this Dc-
fcription of Mercury 5 Mercuries (fayes
he) eft liquor Me acidu$y permediliS)])e-chm.T}~
netrabilh, athereus, ac purijffimus, a quo [°fcap,t
Minis NutricatiO) Sex fa, Motus, Fires ,
\C&Iom3 Sencftutifqite PrAprofer* retard a-
tm
tm Which words are not fo much a
Definition of it, as an Encomium : and
yet QuerceUntis in his Defcription of
the fame Principle adds to thefc, di-
vers other Epithets. But both of them >
to skip very many other faults that may
be found with their Metaphoricall De-
scriptions , fpeak incongruoufly to the
Chymifts own Principles. For if Mer-
cury be an Acid Liquor, either Her-
meticaj Philofophy muft err in afcribing
all Tafts to Salt, or elfe Mercury mult
not be a Principle, but Compounded
of a Saline Ingredient and fomewhat
elfe. Libavius^ though he find great
fault with the obfeurity of what the
Chymifts write concerning their Mcr*
curial Principle, does yet but give us
fwch a Negative Defcription of it, as
Sennertus , how favourable foever to the
Tria PrinUy is not fatisfi'd wich. And
this Sennertus Himfelf , though the
Learnedft Champion for the Hypofta*
tical Principles 3does almoft as frequent-
ly as juftly complain of the unfatis-
fa&orinefs of what the Chymifts teach
concerning their Mercury 5 and yet he
himfelf ( but with his wonted modefty)
Subftitutes inftead of the Defcription
of
of Lifaviits, another, which many Rea-
ders, efpecially if they be not Peripa-
teticks, will not know what to make of.
For fcarce telling us any more, then
that in all bodies that which is found
befides Salt and Sulphur, and the E-
iements, or, as they call them, Phlegm
and Dead Earth , is that Spirit which
in AriBotks Language may be call'd
isUi ivAtoyi w j$ a7(a, w^mc*. He faycs that
which I confefs is not at all fatisfa&o-
ry to me, who do not love to fecm to
acquiefce in any mans Myftical Do-
ctrines, that I may be thought to under-
hand them.
If ( fayes Eleutberius ) I durft pre-
fume that the fame thing would be
thought clear by me, and thofe that arc
fond*or fuch cloudy Exprefllons as You
juftly Tax the Chymifts for,I fhould ven-
ture to offer to Confederation, whether
or no, fince the Mercurial Principle that
arifes from Diftillation is unanimoufly
aflerted to be diftinft from the fait and
Sulphur of the fame Concrete,that may
not be call'd the Mercurv of a Body,
which though it afcend in Diftillation,
as do the Phlegme and Sulphur, is nei-
ther infipid like the former, nor infla-
mabie
(27°)
mablelike the latter. And therefore I
would fubftitute to the too much aba-
fed Name of Mercury, the more clear
and Familiar Appellation of Spirit,
which is alfo now very much made ui'e
of even by the Chymifts themfelves,
of our times, though they have not
given us fo Diftindt an Explication , as
were fit, of what may be call'd the Spi-
rit of a mixt Body^ *
I fhould not perhaps ( fayes Came-
ades ) much quarrel with your Notion
of Mercury. But as for the Chymifts,
what they can mean, with congruity to
their own Principles , by the Mercu-
ry of Animals and Vegetables, 'twill
not be foeafie to find out ; for they af-
eribe Taftsonly to the Valine Principles
and confequcntly would be much put to
it to (hew what Liquor it is, in the Re-
folution of Bodies, that not being in^
fipid, for that they call Phlegme, nei-
ther is inrlamable as Oyle or Sulphur,
nor has any Tall; 5 which according to
them muft proceed from a Mixture, at
leaf, of Salt. And if we fhould take
Spirit in the fence of the Word re-
ceiVd among Modern Chymifts and
Phy(itiansaforany DiltilPd Liquor that
is
(271)
Is neither Phlegme nor oyle, the Ap-
pellation would yet appear Ambigu-
ous enough, For, plainly,that which firO:
afcends in the Diftillation of Wine
and Fermented Liquors, is generally as
well by Chymifts as others reputed a
Spirit. And yet pure Spirit of Wine
being wholly infiamable ought accor-
ding to them to be reckon'd to the Sul-
phureous, not the Mercurial Principle.
And among the other Liquors that go
under the name of Spirits, there are
divers which feem to belong to the fa-
mily of Salts, fuch as are the Spirits of
Nitre, Vitriol, Sea- Salt and others, and
even the Spirit of Harts-horn, being, as
I have try'd, in great part, if not totally
reducible into .Salt and Phlegme, may
be fufpe&ed to be but a Volatile Salt
disguis'dby the Phlegme mingi'd with
it into the forme of a Liquor. How-
ever if this be a Spirit, it manifeftly dif-
fers very much from that of Vinager,
the Taft of the one being Acid, and the
other Salt, and their Mixture in cafe they
be very pure, fometimes occafioning an
Erfervefcence like that of thofe Li-
quors the Chymifts count moft contra-
ry to one another, And even among
thole
thofe Liquors that fecm to have a bet-
ter title then thofe hitherto mcm-ion'd,
to the name of Spirits, there appears a
fcnflble Diverfity 5 For fpirit of Oak, for
inftance,dirYers from that of Tartar, and
this from that of Box,or of Gnaiacum And
in {hort,even thefe fpirits as well as othe^
Diftill'd Liquors manifeft a great Dif*
parity betwixt themfelves, either in
their Anions on our fenies, or in their
other operations.
And ( continues Cdrmades ) befides
this Difpaiity that is to be met with a-
mong thofe Liquors that the Modernes
call fpirits, & take for fimilar bodics,what
I have formerly told you concerning the
Spirit of Box-wood may let you fee that
fome of thofe Liquors not only have qua-
lities very differing from others, but
may be further refolved into lubftances
differing from one another.
And fmce many moderne Chymifts
and other Naturalifts are pleafed to
take the Mercurial fpirit of Bodies for the
fame Principle, under differing names,
I muft invite you to obferve, with rne,the
great difference that is confpicuous be-
twixt all the Vegetable and Animal fpi-
rits I have mention'd and running
Mcr-
(273)
Mercury. I fpcak not of that which is
commonly fold in (hops that many of
themfelves will confefle to be a mixt
Body ; but of that which is feparated
from Metals, which by fome Chymiits
that feem more Philosophers then the
reft, and efpecially by the above menti-
oned Ckvmjs ( for dittin&ion fake) c$*
led Mercurius Corporum. Now this Me-
talline Liquor being one of thofe three
Principles of which Mineral Bodies are
by Spagyrifts affirmed to be compos'd and
to be refoluble into them, the many no-
torious Differences betwixt them and
the Mercuries,as They call Them, of Ve-
getables and Animals will allow me to
inferr, either that Minerals and the o*
ther two forts of Mixt Bodies confift not
of the fame Elements, or that thofc
Principles whereinto Minerals are im-
mediately rcfolved,which Chymifts wich
great oftcntation {hew us as the true
principles, of them, are but Secundary
Principles, or Mixts of a peculiar fort,
which muft be themfelves redue'd to a
very differing forme, to be of the fame
kind with Vegetable and Animal Li-
quors.
But this is not all jfor although 1 fcr-
T merly
(274>
merly told You how Little Credit there
is to be given to the Chymical ProceiTes
commonly to be met with, of Extracting
the Mercuries of Metals, Yet I will now
add, that fuppofing that the more Ju-
dicious of Them do not Untruly arfirme
that they have really drawn true and
running Mercury from fevcral Metals
( which I wifh they had cleerly taught
Us how to do alfoaJyet it maybeitill
doubted whether fuch extracted Mercu-
ries do not as well differ from common
Quickfilver, and from one another, as
from the Mercuries of Vegetables and
Animalls. Ckvens^ m his Apology ,
fpeaking of fome
MxUntem deargentovwo ame- experiments wkre-
mwnfagidttaum. fr hunuditatcm by Metalline Mer-
nimium cohcoliiom eft contumax^nec cUtieS maV be flXr
a!> awo folum atterato coerceri to- t *, ,
left. Gaft. ciave.in Apoii. into the nobler me-
tals, adds, thithe
fpake of the Mercuries drawn from me*
xals; becaufc common Quickfilver by rea-
son of itsexceffive coldneffe and moifture
is unfit for that particular kind of opera-
tion ; for which though a few lines be-
fore he prefcribes in general the Mercu-
ries of Metalline Bodies* yet he chiefly
-commends shas drawn by art from filver.
And
(*7s)
And elfewhere, in the fame Boole, he
tells us,that he himfelf trycd,that by bare
coftionthequickfilvcroftin or Pewter
( wgWum vimmex farmoprolichuinfatf
by an efficient caufe, as he fpeaks, be
turn'd into pure Gold. And the Expe-
rience Alexander v&n Sucker,, fome*
where tells us,that by a way he intimates
may be made a Mercury of Copper, not
of the Silver colour of other Mercuries,
but green 5 to which 1 {hall add, that
an eminent perfon, whofe name his tra-
vells and learned writings have made
famous, lately affur*d me that he had
more then once ken the Mercury of
Lead ( which whatever Authors pro-
mife, you will find it Very difficult to
make, at leaft in'any considerable quanti-
ty ) fixt into perfect Gold. And being
by me demanded whether ot no any o-
| ther Mercury would not :as well have
been changed by the fame Operations^
; he affured me of the Negative.
And fince I am fallen upon the men-
tion of the Mercuries of metals, you will
perhaps expect ( Eleuthemh ! ) that I
ihould fay fomething of their two other
• principles ;but I muft freely confefs to you^
\ that what Difparity there may be be-
t % tweefl
tweentbe faltsand fulphurs of Metals
and other Menerals, I am not my felf
experienced enough in the feparations
andexamensofthem, to venture to de-
termine; (for as for the falts of Metals, I
formerly reprefented it as a thing much
to be queftion'd, whether they have any
at all;) And for the proceffes of feparation
I find in Authors,if they were (what many
of them are not)fucceisfully practicable,
as I noted above, yet they are to be per-
formed by the affiftance of other bodies,
fo hardly, if upon any termes at all* fe*
parable from them,that it is very difficult
to give the feparated principles all then-
due, and no more. But the Sulphur of
Antimony which is vehemently vomi-
tive, and the ftrongly fcented Anodyne
Sulphur of Vitriol inclines me to think
that not only Mineral Sulphurs differ
from Vegetable ones, but alfo from one
another, retaining much of the nature
of their Concretes. The«(alts of metals,
andoffome fort of minerals, You will
eafilyguefTeby the Doubts I formerly
exprefs'd, writher metals have any fait
at all, that! have not been fo happy as
yet to fee, perhaps not for want of cu-
rioficy, But if Paracelfus did alwaies
write
(277)
write fo confentaneoufly to himfelf that
his opinion were confidently to be collect-
ed from everyplace of his writings where
he fecmsto expreffe uy I might fafely
take upon me to tell you, that he both
countenances in general what I have de-
livered in my Fourth main confideration,
and in particular warrants me to fufpecl:
that there may be a difference in metal-
line and mineral Salts3as well as we find
it in thofe of other bodies. For, Sulphur
( faycs he ) aliud in auro^ aliud in argentoy JfJ?5^
Aliud in ferro, aliud in plumhoy&anndy &£* ral.Ta'oii
fie aliud in Sapbiro 3 aliud in ^wm»i-p»$«
ragdoy aliud for ubinoycbrjf olitOy amethis-1*1*
toy magnetey &c. Item aliud in Upidibw^
Jilice, falibuty fontibuSy &e. nee vero tot
fulpbura t ant urn Jed & tot idem folia ;fala*
Hud in metallic 3 aliud in gemmisy aliud in
lapidibuSy aliud infalibuSy aliud in vitrio-
hy aliud in ahmine^ fimilis etiam Mercurii
eji ratio. Alim m. Metallic alius in
■GemmiSy &e. Itautunicuiqiie ftecieifuus
peculiaris Mercuriut (it. Et tamen resfal*
tern tresfunt $ una e^entia e&fulphur y una
eft fat; unae^MercmuU Addoquodgf
fpecialm adhuc fingula dividantur 5 aurum
enim non m.tm,fed multiplexed et non unum
f?jrum0pomum>fed idem multiplex ■> totidem e-
T 3 turn
(278)
t t&m fdphura auri folia auri3 mercuvii aurh
idem competlt etiam metallic & gemmis ', ut
qmtfaphjriproepantiores^ l&vioreSy &c. tot
etiam faphjrica fulphura^ faphjrica falia,
faphyrici Mercurii^ Cfc, Idem verum eti-
am eji de turconibus & gemmis aliis uni-
verfis. From which paffage ( Ekuthe-
rim ) 1 fuppofe you will think I might
without ra&nefs conclude, either that
my opinion is favoured by that of Para'
eeifiid, or that Earacelfushis opinion was
notalwaies the fame. But becaufe in
divers other places of his writings he
feeaisto talk at a differing rate of the
three Principles and the four Elements,
I iliall content my felf to inferr from the
alledg'd paffage, that it his doctrine be
not confident with that Part of mine
which it is brought to countenance, it is
verydimeulttoknow what his opinion
concerning fait, fulphur and mercury,
was 5 and that confequently we had rea-
fon about the beginning of our conferen-
ces, to decline taking upon us, either to
examine or oppofe h.
I know not whether I fhould on this
occailon add, that thofe very bodies the
Chymifts call Phlegme and Earth do yet
recede from an Elementary fimplicity.
That
(279)
That common Earth and Water fre-
quently do fo,notwithftanding the receiv-
ed contrary opinion^s not deny'd by the
more wary of the moderne Peripate ticks
themfelves : and certainly., molt Earths
are much leffe {imple bodies then is com-
monly imagined even by Chymifts,who
do not fo confideratly to prefcribe and
employ Earths Promifcuoufly in thole
diftillations that require the mixture of
fo.me caput mortuum> to hinder the flow-
ing together of the matter, and to re-
gain its grofTer parts. For I have found
fome Earths to yield by diftillation a Li-
quor very far from being inodorous or in-
j fipid 3 and 'tis a known obfervation3thae
[moft kinds of fat. Earth kept cover'd
from the rain, and hindred from fpend-
ing themfelves in the production of vege-
tables, will in time become impregnated
with Salt-Petre.
But I muft remember that the Wa-
ter and Earths I ought here to fpeak of,
arcfuchasare feparated from mixt Bo-
dies by the fire; and therefore to reftrain
my Difcourfe to fuch3 1 fhall tell you,
Tnat we fee the Phiegme of Vitriol ( for
inftance ) is a very efTcc"tual remedie a-
gainft burnes s and I know a very Ea-
T 4 mous
O8o)
mous and experienc'd Phyfitianyvhokvmr
fufpc&ed fecret(himfelf confefs'd to me)
it is, for the difcurTingof hard and Obfti-
nate Tumours. The Phlegme of Vina-
ger, though drawn exceeding leafurly in
a duelling Furnace, I have jpurpofely
made try all of 5 and fome times found k
able to draw, though flowly, a faccha-
rine fweetnefs out of Lead 3 and as I re-
member by long Digeftion, I diffolvd
Corpals in it. The Phlegme of the fu-
garofSaturneisfaid to have very pecu-
liar properties.Divers Eminent Chymifts
teach, that it will diffolve Pearls, which
being precipitated by the fpirit of the
fame concrete are thereby ( as they fay )
rendred volatilejwhich has been confirm-
ed to me, upon his own obfervation, by a
perfon of great veracity. The Phlegme
of Wine, and indeed divers other Li-
quors that are indifcriminately condemnd
to be caft away as phlegm, are endow'd
with qualities that make them differ both
from meer water, and from each other 5
and whereas the Chymifts are pleas'd to
call the caput mortuum of what they have
J diftill'd ( after they have by affufion of
water drawn away its fait) terra dammtay
or Earth, it may be doubted whether or
no thofe garths are all of them pcrfe&ly
alike : arid it is fcarce to be doubted, buc
that there are fome of them whicb re-
main yet unreduced to an Elementary na-
ture.The a{hes of wood depriv'd of all the
fair, and bone- Allies, orcalcin'd Harts-
horn,which Refiners choofe to make Tefts
of, as freeft from Salt/eem unlike.-and he
that fhall compare either of thefe inflpid
afhes to Lime,and much more to the calx
of Talk (though by the arTufion of water
they be exquifitcly dulcify 'd) will perhaps
fee eaufe to think them things of a fome-
what differing nature. And it is evident
in Colcothar that the exa&eft calcination,
follow'd by an exquifite dulcification,
does not alwaies'reducc the remaining bo-
dy'into elementary earthjfor after the fait
or Vitriol (if the Calcination have been
too faint ) is drawn out of the Colcothar,
the refidue is not earth, but a mixt body,
rich in Medical venues ( as experience
has inform'dme ) and which Angehu S&-
/^affirmes to be partly reducible into
malleable Copper ; which I judge very
probable : for though when 1 was ma-
king Experiments upon Colcothar ,1 was
deftitute of a Furnace capable of giving a
heat intenfe Enough to bring fuch a
Calx
(282)
Calx to Fufion 5 yet hav/ng'conje&ur'd
that if Colcothar abounded with that
Metal j Aqua Fortis would find it out
there > I put fotne dulcifi'd Colcothar
into that Menftruum^ and found the Li-
quor, according to my Expectation,
presently Colour'd as Highly as if it
had been an Ordinary Solution of Cop*
per,
THE
(283)
THE
SCEPTICAL CHYMIST.
The Fifth Part.
Ere Came Ada making a paufe, I
muft not deny ( fayes his Friend
to him ) that I think You have fuffici-
ently prov'd that thtfe Mind: Subftan-
ces which Chymifts are wont to obtain
from Mixt Bodies, by their Vulgar De-
foliation, are not pure and fimple c-
nough ro deferve, in Rigour of fpeaking,
the Name of Elements, or Principles.
But I fuppofe You have heard, that
there are fome Modern Spagyrifts3 who
give out that they can by further and
more Skilfull Purifications, fo reduce
the feparated Ingredients of Mixt Bo
cfes to an Elementary fimplidty. That
the
{284)
the Oyles ( for, Inftance) extracted from
all Mixts faall as perfectly refemble
one another, as the Drops of Water
do.
If you remember ( replies Carneades )
that at the Beginning of our Conference
with Phibpoms, I declared to him be-
fore the reft of the Company , that I
would not engage my felf at prefent to do
any more then examine the ufual proofs
alledg'd by Chymifts , for the Vulgar
doctrine of their three Hypoftatical Prin-
ciples ; You will eafily perceive that
I am not oblig'd to make anfwer to
what you newly propos'd , and that it
rather grants, then difproves what I
have been contending for ; Since by pre-
tending to make fo great a change in the
reputed Principles that Defoliation
affords the common Spagjrijls9 'tis
plainly enough prefuppos'd, that before
fuch Artificial Depurations be made,
the Suhftances to be made more fimple
were not yet fimple enough to be look'd
upon as Elementary 5 Wherefore in
cafe the Artifls you fpeak of could per-
form what they give out they can, yet
I tliould not need to be afham'd of ha-
ving queftion'd the Vulgar Opinion
touching
(235)
couching the tria Prima. And as to the
thing it felf, Ifhall freely acknowledge
to you , that I love not to be forward
in determining things to be imponrble,
till I know and have confidefd the
means by which they are propos'd to be
effe&ed* And therefore I {hall not pe-
remptorily deny either the poilibility of
what theie Artijts promife, or my Af-
fent to any juft Inference , however de-
ftru&ive to my Conjectures, that may
be drawn from their performances. But
give me leave to tell you withall ,
that becaufe fuch promifes are wont
( as Experience has more then once in-
form'dme) to be much more eafily
made, then made good by Chymifts, I
muft withhold my Beliefe from their af-
fertions , till their Experiments exact it;
and muft not befo eafie as to expect
before hand, an unlikely thing upon no
ftronger Inducements then are yet given
me : Befides that I have not yet found
by what I have heard of thefe Artifts,
that though they pretend to bring the
feveral Subftances into which the Fire
has divided the Concrete, to an exqui-
fite fimplicity, They pretend alfo to be
able by the Fire to divide all Concretes,
Minerals,
(2*6)
Minerals, and others, into the fame
number of Diftinft Subftanccs. And
in the mean time I miift think it im-
probable, that they can either truly fc-
parate as many differing Bodies from
Gold ( for Ieiftance ) or Ofleocollay as
we can do from Wine, or Vitriol ; or
that the Mercury ( for Example ) of
.Gold or Saturn would be perfectly of
the fame Nature with that of Harts*-
horn 5 and that the fulphur of Antimo-^
ny would be but Numerically different
from the DiftuTd butter or oyleofRo-
fes>
But fuppofe ( fayes Ete>itherius ) that
you fliould meet with Chymifts, who
would allow you to take in Earth and
Water into the number of the prin-
ciples of Mixt Bodies 5 and being alfo
content to change the Ambiguous
Name of Mercury for that more in-
telligible one of fpirit, fhould confe*
quently make the principles of Com-
pound Bodies to be Five , would you
not think it fomething hard to reject
fo plaufible an Opinion, only becaufe
the Five fubftances into which the Fire
divides mixt Bodies are not exadly
pure, and Homogeneous ? For my part
Ycon-
(287),
( Continues Carmades ) I cannot but
think it fomewhat ftrange , in cafe this
Opinion be not true , that itfhouldfall
outfo luckily, that fo great a Variety
of Bodies (hould be Analyz'd by the
Fire into juft five Diftinft fubftances %
which fo little differing from the Bodies
that bear thofe names, may fo Plaufibly
■becairdOyle, Spirit^ Salt, Water, and
Earth.
The Opinion You now propofe {an-
fwers Carneades) being another then
that I was engag'd to examine, it is not
requisite for me to Debate it at prefent 3
nor {hould I have leifure to do it tho-
rowly. Wherefore I {hall only tell you
in General* that though I think this O-
pinion in fome refpe&s more defenfi-
ble then that of the Vulgar Chyrnifts wet
you may eafily enough learn from the
paft Difcourfc what may be thought of
it : Since many of the Objections made
againft the Vulgar Dodtrine of the Chy-
rnifts (earn, without much alterations
employable againft this Hypotkefis alfo.
For, beiides that this Da&rine does as
well as the other take it for granted,
( what is not eafie to be prov'd ) that
she Fire is the true and Adequate Ana-
lyzer
(288)
Jyzer of Bodies, and that all the Dt»
ftinft fubftances obtainable from a mixc
Body by the Fire, were fo pre-exiftent
in it, that they were but extricated from
each other by the Andyfis ; Befides
that this Opinion, too, afcribe to the
Productions of the Fire an Elementary
fimplicity, which I have fhewn not to
belong to them ; and befides that this
Doctrine is lyable to fome of the o-
ther Difficulties, wherewith That of the
Tria Prima is incumber'd ; Befides all
this, I fay, this quinary number of E-
lements, ( if you pardon the Expreftl-
on ) ought at leaft to have been re-
ftrain'd to the Generality of Animal
and Vegetable Bodies, fince not only a-
mong thefc there are fome Bodies ( as
I formerly argu'd ) which, fpr ought
lias yet been made to appear, do con-
fift, cither of fewer or more fimilar
fubftances then precifely Five. But in
the Mineral Kingdom, there is fcarce
one Concrete that has been evinced to
be adequatly divifible into fuch five Prin-
ciples or Elements, and neither more
nor lefs, as this Opinion would have e-
very mixt Body to confift of.
And this very thing ( continues Car-
neades)
modes ) may ferve to take away or lef*
fen your Wonder, that juft fo many
Bodies as five (hould be found upon
the Refolution of Concrete?" . For fmce
we find not that the fire can make any
fuch Andy [is ( into five Elements ) of
Metals and other Mineral Bodies, whole
Texture is more ftrong and permanent,
k remains that the Five Subftances un-
der confideration be Obtain'd from Ve-
getable and Animal Bodies, which (pro-
bably by rcafon of their loofer Con-
texture ) are capable of being Diftill'd,
And as to fuch Bodies, 'tis natural c*
nough , that, whether we fuppofe that
there are, or arc not, precifely five E-
lements, there diould ordinarily occurr
in the Diffipated parts a five Fold Di-
versity of Scheme ( if I may fo fpeak. )
For if the Parts do not remain all fiVd,
as in Gold, Calcin'd Talck, &c. nor all
afcend, as in the Sublimation of Brim-
ftone, Camphire, &c. but after their
Dilfipation do aflbciate themfelves into
new Schemes of Matter 5 it is very like-
ly, that they will by the Fire be divided
into fix'd and Volatile (I mean, in Re-
ference to that degree of heat by which
they are deftill'd; and thofe Volatile
U parts
parts will, for the molt part, afcend
cither in a dry forme, which Chymifts
are pleas'd to call, if they be Taftlefs,
Flowers 3 if Sapid, Volatile Salt 3 or in
a Liquid Forme. And this Liquor nauft
be either inflamable, and fo pafs for oyl,
or not inflamable, and yet fubtile and
pungent, which may be call'd Spirit ;
or d(e ftrengthlefs or infipid, which
may be nana'd Phlegme, or Water.
And as for the fixt part, or Caput Mor-
tuum, it will moft commonly confift of
Corpufcles , partly Soluble in Water,
or Sapid, ( efpecially if the Saline parts
were not fo Volatile, as to fly away be-
fore ) which make up its fixt fait 5 and
partly infoluble and in lipid, which there-
fore feems to challenge the name of
Earthy But although upon this ground
one might eafily enough have foretold,
that the differing fubftanccs obtaind
from a perfeaiy mixt Body by the Fire
would for the -moft part be reducible
to the five newly mentioned Stares of
Matter ? yet it will not prefently follow,
that thefe five Diftina fubftances were
fi-riple and primogencal bodies, fo pre-
exiftent in the Concrete that the fire
does but take them afundcr. Be-fides
that
(291)
that it does not appear, that all Mixt
Bodies, ( witnefs, Gold, Silver, Mercu-
ry:, &c. ) Nay nor perhaps all Vege-
tables, which may appear by what we
/aid above of Campktre, Benzoin , &ce
are refoluble by Fire into juft fuch dif-
fering Schemes of Matter. Nor will
the Experiments formerly alledg'd per-
mit us to look upon thefe feparated
Subftances as Elementary, or uncom-
pounded. Neither will it be a fuffici-
ent Argument of their being Bodies
that deferve the Names which Chy-
mifts are pleased to give them, that
they have an Analogy in point of
Confiftence, or either Volatility or
Fixtnefs, or elfe fome other obvious
Quality, with the fuppos'd Principles 9
whofe names are afcrib'd to them .'For,
as I told you above , notwithftanding
this Refemblance in fome one Quality,
there may be fuch a Difparity in others^
as may be more fit to give them Dif-
fering Appellations, then the Refem-
blance is to give them one and t he
fame. And indeed it feemsbut fome-
what a grofs Way of judging of the
Nature of Bodies, to conclude without
Scruple 9 that thofe j^uft be of the fame
U a Na-
Nature that agree in fome fuch Gene-
ral Qaalicy, as Fluidity, Dryncfs, Vo-
latility, and the like : fince each of thofe
Qualities , or States of Matter, may
Comprehend a great Variety of Bo-
dies, otherwifc of a very differing Na-
ture ; as we may fee in the Calxes of
Gold, of Vitriol, and of Venetian Talck,
compared with common Afhes, which
yet are very dry, and flx'd by the ve-
hemence of the Fire, as well as they.
And as we may likewife gather from
what I have formerly Obftrv'd , touch-
ing the Spirit of Box- Wood , which
though a Volatile, Sapid, and not infla-
mable Liquor, as well as the Spirits
of Harts-horn, of B!ood and others,
( and therefore has been hitherto call'd,
the Spirit, and efteem'd for one of the
Principles of the Wood that affords
it 3 ) may yet, as I told You, be undi-
vided into two Liquors, differing from
one another, and one of them at leaif,
from the Generality of other Chymical
Spirits.
But you may your felf, if you pleafe,
( purfues Carneades) accommodate to the
Hypothecs you propos^d what other par-
dollars you fhail think applicable toxr,
in
in the foregoing Difcourfe. For I think
it unfeafonable for me to meddle now a-
ny further with a Controverfie, which
fince it does not now belong tome.
Leaves me at Liberty to lake my
Own time to Declare my Self about
it.
Eleatherim perceiving that. Carneades
was fomewhat unwilling to fpend any
more time upon the debate of this
Opinion , and having perhaps forne
thoughts of taking hence a Rife to make
him Difcourfe it more fully another time,
thought not fit as then to make any fur-
ther mention to him of the propos'd opi-
nion,but told him.
I prefume I need not mind ypu, Carne-
ades , That both the Patrons of the
ternary number of Principles , and
thofe that wou'd have five Elements,
endeavour to back their experiments
with a fpecious Reafon or two; and efpe-
cially fame of thofe Embracers of the O-
pinion laft nam'd ( whom I have con-
vers'd with, and found them Learned
men ) affigne this Reafon of the neceffity
of five divtiniSt Elements ; that otherwife
mixt Bodies could not be fo compounded
and temper'd as to obtain a due confi-
U 3 ftence
(;2<?4)
ftence and competent Duration. For
Salt (fay they) is the Bafis of Solidity;
and Permanency in Compound Bodies,
without which the other four Elements
might indeed be varioufly and loofly
blended together, but would remain in-
compa&ed -, but that Salt might be dif-
folv'd into minute Parts, and convey'd
to the other Subftances to be compacted
by it, and with it^ there is a Neceffity of
"Water. And that the mixture may not
be too hard and brittle, a Sulphureous or
Oy !y Principle muft intervene to make
the mafs more tenacious ; to this a Mer-
curial fpirit muft be fuperadded 5 which
by its activity may for a while premeate,
and as it were leaven the whole Mafs,
and thereby promote the more cx-
quifite mixture and incorporation of the
Ingredients. To all whi.h ( laftly)a
portion of Earth muft be added, which
by its drineffe and poracity may foak
up part of that water wherein the Salt
was diffolv'd, and eminently conctirr
with the other ingredients to give the
whole body the requifite confiftence.
I perceive ( fayes Carmacies fmiling )
that if it be true, as 'twas lately rooted
from the Proverb, that good wits h&vc
lad Memories, You have that Title, as
well as a better, to a place among the
good Wits. For you have already
more then once forgot, that I declar'd
to you that I would at this Confe-
rence Examine only the Experiments
of my Adverfaries, not their Specula-
tive Reafons. Yet 'tis not ( Subjoynes
Carneades ) for fear of medling with
the Argument you have propos'd, that
I decline the examining it at prefent.
For if when we are more at leafure, you
fhall have a mind that we may So-
lemnly confider of it together ; I am
confident we {hall fcarce find it infolu-
ble. And in the mean time we may
obferve, that fucb-a way of Arguing
may,it fecms,be fpecioufly accommoda-
ted to differing Hypothefes. For I find that,
BeguimSy and other Affertors of the
Tria Prima, pretend to make out by fuch
away, the requifitenefs of their Salt,
Sulphur and Mercury, toconftitute mixt
Bodies, without taking notice of any ne-
ceffity of an Addition of Water and
Earth.
And indeed neither fort of Chymifts
feem to have duly confider'd how great
Variety there is in the Textures and
,U 4 Con-
Confidences of Compound Bodie;sand
how little the confidence and Durati-
on of many of them fcemto accommo-
date and be explicable by the propos'd
Notion. And not to mention thofe aimoft
-incorruptible Subftanccs obtainable by
the Fire, which I have prov'd to be
fomewhat compounded, and which the
Chymilts will readily grant not to be
perfectly mixt Bodies : Q Not to menti-
on thefe, I fay ) If you will but recall
to mind iome of thofe Experiments,
whereby I fhew'd You that out of com-
mon Water only mixt Bodies (and
even living ones ) of very differing con-
fidences, and refoluble by Fire into as
many Principles as other bodies ac-
knowledge to be perfectly mixt 3 if you
do this, I fay, you will not, I fuppofe, be
averfe from beleeving, that Nature by
a convenient difpofidon of the minute
parts of a portion of matter may con-
trive bodies durable enough, and of this,
or that, or the other Confiftence,witb-
out being oblig'd to make ufe of all,
much lefs of any Determinate quantity
of each of the five Elements, or of
the three Principles to compound fuch
bodies of. And I have ( purfues Carne-
tdes)
ades) fomething wonder'd, Cbymiils
fhould not confider, that there is fcarce
any bodv in Nature fo permanent and
indifToluble as Giafs. $ which yet them-
felves teach us may be made of bare
Allies, brought to ftifion by the meer
Violence of the Fire 5 fo that, fince
■Afhes are granted to confift but of pure
Salt and fLnple Earth, fequeftred from
all the other Principles or Elements,
they^ mutt acknowledge, That even
Art it fclf can of two Elements only,
or, if you pleafe, one Principle and one
Element, compound a Body more du-
rable then almoft any in the World.
Which being undeniable, how will
they prove that Nature cannot com-
pound Mixt Bodies, and even durable
Ones, under all the five Elements or ma-
terial Principles,
But to iniift any longer on this Occa-
Conal Difquifition, Touching their O-
pinion that would Eftablifh five Ele-
ments, were to remember as little as
You did before, that the Debate of [this
patter is no part of my firft undertak-
ing ; and confequently,that I havealrea-
oyfpent time enough in what I look)
I back upon but as a digreflion,or at beft anj
Excurfion. And!
(29$)
And thus, Etevtherm, ( fayes C&ms.-
des ) having at length gone-jthrough the
four Confiderations I propos'd to Dif-
courfe unto you, I hold it not unfit, for
fear my having infifted fo long on each of
them may have made you forget their
Series ) briefly to repeat them by telling
you, that
Since,in the firft place,it may juftlybe
doubted whether or no the Fire be, as
Chymifts fuppofe it^ the genuine and
UniverfalRefolver of mixt Bodies 5
Sinee we may doubt, in the next
place, whether or no all the Diftin£t
Subftances that may be obtain'd from a
mixt body by the Fire were pre-exiftent
there in the formes in which they were
feparated from it ,
.Since alfo, though we fhould grant
the Subftances feparable from mixt Bo-
dies by the fire to have been their
component Ingredients, yet the Number
of fuch fubftances does not appear the
fame in all mixt Bodies; fome of them
being Refoluble into more differing fub-
ftances than three,and Others not being
Refoluble into fo many as three.
And Since,Laftly, thofe very fubftan-
ces that are thus feparated are not for the
raoft
{299)
moft part pure and Elementary bodies^
but new kinds of mixts;
Since, I fay, tbefe things are fo,I hope
you will allow me to inferr, that the
Vulgar Experiments ( I might perchance
have Added, the Arguments too ) wont
to be AHedg'd by Chymifts to prove,
that their three Hypoftatical Principles
do adequately com pofe all mixt Bodies3
are not fo demonftrative as to reduce a
wary F^erfon to acquiefce in their Do-
ctrine, which,till they Explain and prove
it better, will by its perplexing darknefs
be more apt to puzzle then fatisfy con-
sidering men, and will to them appear
incumbred with no fmall Difficulties.
And from what has been hitherto de-
due'd ( continues Carwades ) we may
i Learn, what to Judge of the common
, Practice of thole Chymifts, whobecaufe
they have found that Diverfe compound
. Bodies ( for it will not hold in All ) can
I be refolv'd into, or rather can be brought
, to afford two or three differing Subftan-
j,ces more then the Soot andAfbes,whcre-
-into the naked fire commonly divides
I them in our Chy mnies, cry |up their own
i Seel: for the Invention of a New Pbilofo-
| phy,fome of them,as Belmont^ cSS^Wng
them-
(2O0)
themfelves Philofophers by the Fire; and
the moft part noc only afcribing, but as
far as in them lies, engroffing to thofe
of their Sc& the Title of PHLLOSO-
PHERS.
But alas, how narrow is thisPhilofo-
phy, that reaches but ro fome of thofe
compound Bodies, which we find but
upon,or in the cruft or outfide of our ter-
reftrial Globe, which is h felf but a point
in comparifon of the vaft extended Uni*
verfe, of whofe other and greater parts
the Dowtrine of the Tria Prima does not
givcusan Account! For what dees it
teach us, either of the Nature of the Sun,
which Aftronomers affirme to be eight-
fcore and odd times bigger then the whole
Earth ? or of that of thofe numerous fixe
Starrs, which,for ought we know, would
very few, if any of them, appear inferi-
our in bulkc and brightnefs to the Sun, i£
they were as neer us as He ? What does
the knowing that Salt, fulphur and
Mercury, are the Principles of Mixt Bo-
dies5 informe us of the Nature of that
vaft, fluid, and jEcherial .SiMance,
that feemes to make up the in-
terftellar, and confequently much the
greateft part of the World ? for as for
the
(3oi)
the opinion commonly afcrib'd to Para-
c elf as , as if he would have not only
the four Peripaietick Elements, but c-
ven the Celettial parts of the Univerfe to
eonfift of his three Principles, fince the
modern Chymiits themielves have not
thought fo groundlefs a conceit worth
their owning, I {hall not think it Worth
my confuting.
But I Should perchance forgive the Hy-
pothecs I have been all this while exa-
mining, if, though it reaches but to a ve-
ry little part of the World, it did at
leaft give us a fatisfattory account of thofe
things to which 'tis faid to reach. But
I find not, that it gives us any other then
a very imperfect information even about
mixt Bodies themfelves : For how will
the knowledge of the Tria Prima disco-
ver to us the Reafon, why the Loadftoue
drawes a Needle and difpofcs it to re-
fpecl: the Poles, and yet feldom precife-
ly points at them ? how will this Hypo-
thecs teach Us how a Chick ib formed in
the Egge, or how the Seminal Princi-
ples of Mint, Pompijns, and other Ve-
gitables, that I mention'd to You above,
can fafhion Water into Various Plants,
each of them endow'd with its peculiar
and
and determinate Chape, and with divers
fpecifick and difcriminating Qualities ?
How does this. Hypothefis {hew us, how
much Salt, how much Sulphur, and how
much Mereury muft be taken to make a
ChickoraPompion ? and if We know
that, what Principle is ic3 that manages
thefe Ingredients, and contrives (for! in-
stance ) iuch Liquors as the White and
YelkofanEgge into fuch a variety of
Textures as is requifue to fairiion the
Bones, Veines, Arteries* Nerves, Ten-
dons, Feathers, Blood, and other parts
of a Chick ; and not only to fafhion
each Limbe, but to connect them altoge-
ther, after that manner that is moft
congruous to the perfection of the Ani-
mal which is to Confift of Them ? For
to fay, that fome more fine and fubtile
part of either or all the Hypoftatical
Principles is the Director in all this buii-
nefs, and the Architcd* of all this Elabo-
rate ftrucTure, is to give one occafion to
demand again , what proportion and
way of mixture of the Tria Prima afford-
ed i'this ArcblteBonick Spirit, and what
* Agent made fo skilful and happy a mix-
ture I And the Anfwer to this QaeftioB,
if the Chymifts will keep themfelves
with-
(3°3)
within their three Principles^ will be li-
able to the fame Inconvenience, that the
Anfwer to the former was. And if it
were not to intrench upon the Theame
of a Friend of ours here prefent, 1 could
eafily profecute the Imperfe&ions of
the Vulgar Chymifls Philofophy, and
fhew you, that by going about to expli-
cate by their three Principles, I fay not,
all the abftrufe Properties of mixt Bodies,
but even fuch Obvious and more familiar
Phenomena as Fluidity and Firmnefs , The
Colours and Figures of Stones, Mine-
rals, and other compound Bodies, The
Nutrition of either Plants or Animals,
the Gravity of Gold or Quickfilver com-
par'd with Wine or Spirit of Wine 5 By
attempting, lfay, to render a reafonof
thefe ( to omit a thoufand others as dif-
ficult to account for ) from any proporti-
on of the three flmple Ingredients, Chy-
mifts will be much more likely to difcre-
du themfelves and their Hypothecs, then
fatisfy an intelligent Inquirer after
Truth.
But ( interpofes Eleutherm ) This Ob-
jection feems no more then may be made
againft the four Peripatetick Elements.
And indeed almoft againft any other Hy-
potkejis
(2°4>
potbefis, that pretends by any Determi-
nate Number of Material Ingredients to
render a reafon of the Phenomena of Na-
ture. And as for the ufe of the Chymi-
cal Doctrine of the three Principles, I
senn. dt fuppofe you need not be told by me, that
P^.^The great Champion of it, The Learn-
16$, ed SennertuSy alfignes this noble ufe of
th&Tria Frima, That from Them,asthe
neereft and molt Proper Principles, may
be Deduc'd and Demonitratcd the
Properties which are in Mixt Bodies,
and which cannot be Proximately (as
They fpeak ) deduc'd from the Ele-
ments. And This, fayes he, is chiefly
Apparent, when we Inquire into the
Properties and Faculties of Medc-
cincs. And I know ( continues eU»*
theriw ) That the Perfon You have
afTum'd, of an [Opponent of the Her-
metick DoBrme, will not fo far prevaile
againft your Native and wonted Equity,
as To keep You from acknowledging
that Philofophy is much beholden
to the Notions and Difcoveries of Chy-
mifts.
r If the Chymifts You fpeak of ( Re-
plyes Cameades ) had been fo modefr,
or fo Difcreet, as to propofe their 0-
pinion
(3°S)
fpinion of the Tria Primay but as a Noti-
on ufeful among Others, to increafc
Humane knowledge , they had deferv d
more of our thanks^ and iefs of our Op-
position 5 but fince the Thing that they
pretend is not fomuch to contribute a
Notion toward the Improvement of
Phijofophy, as to make this Notion at-
tended by a few kite confiderable ones )
pafs for a Ne w Philofophy it fel f . Nay,
fince they boaft fo much of this phancic
of theirs, that the famous Qytrcetams
, fcruples not to write, that if his moll:
certain Doctrine of the three Principles
were fufficiently Learned , Examin'd ,
and Cultivated, it would eafily Difpel
all the Darknefs that benights our minds,
and bring in a Clear Light, that would
, remove all Difficulties. This School af-
| Fording Theorems and Axiomes irrefia-
, gable, and to be admitted without Dif-
| pute by impartial Judges 5 and fo ufeful
; withal, as to exempt us from the neceiH-
tyof having recourfe,for want of the
knowledg of caufes, to that Sanctuary o£
the igorant, Occult Qualities? fince, I
fay, this Domeftick Notion of the Chy-
1 mifts is fo much overvalued by them, I
; cannot think it unfit3they(bouldbe made
X fenfibie
(3°0
fenfible of their miftake ; and be admo-
nifh'd to take in more fruitful and com-
prehenfive Principles, if they mean to
give us an account of the phenomena o£
Nature ; and not confine thcmfelves
and ( as far as they can ) others to
fuch narrow Principles., as I fear will
fcarce inable them to give an account
( I mean an intelligible one J of the tenth
part ( I fay not ) of all the pbxmmem of
Natures but even of all fuch as by the
Leucippian or fome of the other forts of
Principles may be plaufibly enough ex-
plicated. And though I be not unwil-
ling to grant, that the incompetency I
impute to the Chymical Hypothecs is
but the fame which may be Objected a-
gainft that of the four Elements, and di-
vers other Do&rines that have been
maintain'd by Learnedmen , yet fince 'tis
the Chymical Hjpctbefis only which 1
am now examining, I fee not why, if
what I impute to it be a real inconveni-
ence, eirher it fhould ceafe to befo, or
I fhould fcru pie to objeft it, becaufe 0-
ther Theories are lyable thereunto,as well
as the Hermetical. For I know not why
a Truth fhould be thought lefTe a Truth
for the being fit to overthrow variety oi
Errors. J
I am oblig'd to You ( continues Caw**
tides, a little fmiling ) for the favourable
Opinion You are plcas'd to cxprcfs of
my Equity, if there be no defign in it.
But I need not be tempted by an Artifice^
or invited by a Complement, to acknow-
ledge the great fervice that the Labours
of Chymifts have done the Lovers of
ufeful Learning s nor even on this occafi-
on fhali their Arrogance binder my Gra-
titude. But fincc we are as well exami-
ning to the truth of their Do&rine as the
merit of their induftry, I muft in order
to the investigation of the firft, continue
a reply, to talk at the rate of the part I
have aifum'd $ And tell you, that when
Iacknowledgthe ufefulnefsof the La*
boats o£ spggynfls to Natural Philofo-
phy, I do it upon the fcore of their ex-
periments, not upon that of Their Spe-
culations 5 for it feems to me, that their
Writings, as their Furnaces, afford as
well fmoke as light 5 and do little lefle
obfcure fome fubje&s, then they illuftrate
others. And though I am unwilling to
deny, that 'tis difficult for a man to be
an Accomplifht Naturalift, that is a
ftranger to Chymiftry, yet I look upon
the common Operations and practices
X 2 «f
(*o8)
of Chymifts,almoft as I do on the Letters
of the Alphabet, without whofe know-
ledge 'tis very hard for a man to become
a Philofopher 5 and yet that knowledge
is very far from being fufficient to make
him One. x\
But < fayes Carneades^dvimm^ a more
feriousLook) toconfider a little more
particularly what you alledg in favour of
the Chymical Doctrine of the Tria Pri-
tna> though I fhall readily acknowledge
it not to be unufeful, and that the Divi-
fers and Embracers of it have done
the Common- Wealth of Learning fome
fervice, by helping to deftroy that ex-
ceffive efteem, or rather veneration,
wherewith the Doclrine of the four Ele-
ments was almoft as generally as unde-
fervcdly entertain'd ; yet what has been
alledgrd concerning the ufefulnefs of the
Tria Prima,(ecms to me liable to no con-
temptible Difficulties.
And firft, as for the very way of Pro-
bation, which the more Learned and
more Sober Champions of the Ch'ynrcal
caufe employ to evince the Chymical
Principles in Mixt Bodies, it feems to me
to be farr enough frpm being convincing.
This grand and leading Argument, your
Sen*
Sennertm Himfelf , who layes Great
weight upon it, and tells us, that the
molt Learned Philofophers employ this
way of Reafoning to prove the moft
important things, propofes thus : Ufa
cunque ( fayes he ) phribus e<zdem ajfefti-
ones & qualities infant, per commune
quoddam Princlpium infwt necejje efl,fi-
cut omnia fant Gravia propter ten am, CA"
lid* .propter Ignem* At Colo? ^,0 Mores ',
Sapores , ejfe **»>'&> & fimilia alia, mi-
neralibm, Metallic, Gemmis, LapidibuS,
Plantis, Animalibus infant. Ergo per com-
mune alipod principium, & fitbieBum, in-
fant. At tale principium non fant Ele-
menta. Nullam enimhabent ad tales quali-
tates producendas potentiam. Ergo aliaprin-
cipia, undefluant, inqdrenda fant.
In the Recital of this Argument,
(fayes Carneades J I therefore thought
fit to retain the Language wherein the
Author propofes it, that I might alfo
retain the propriety of fame Latine
Termes, towrvch I do not readily re-
member any that fully anfwer in Eng-
lifh. But as for the Argumentation ic
felf, 'tis built upon a precarious fuppo-
fnion, that Teems to me neither De-,
monftrablenor true; for, how does ic
X 3 ap<
appear , that where the fame Quality
is to be met with in many Bodies., ic
muft belong to them upon the Account
of fome one Body whereof they all par-
take ? ( For that the Major of our Au-
thors Argument is to be Underftood
of the Material Ingredients of bodies,
appears by the Inftances of Earth and
Fire he annexes to explain it. J For to
begin with that very Example which
he is pleas'd to alledge for himfelf ;hoW
can he prove, that the Gravity of all
Bodies proceeds from what they par^
ticipate of the Element of Earth ?
Since we fee, that not only common
Water, but the more pure Diftiird
Rain Water is heavy , and Quickfil-
ver is much heavier than Earth it felf ;
'though none of my Adverfaries has
yet prov'd, that it contains any of that
Element, And I the Rather make ufe
of this Example of Quickfilver, becaufe
I fee not how the Alfertors of the E-
lements will give any better Account
of it then the Chymifts. For if it be
demanded how it comes to be Fluid,
they will anfwer, that it participates
much of the Nature of Water. And
Indeed, according to them, Water
may
may be the Predominant Element in
it, fince we fee, that fevcral Bodies
which by Diftillation afford Liquors
that weigh more then their Caput Mor-
tuiim do not yet confift of Liquor e-
nough to be Fluid. Yet if it be deman-
ded how Quickfilver comes to be fo
heavy , then 'tis reply 'd, that 'tis by rea-
fon of the Earth that abounds in it 5 but
fince, according to them, it muft confift
alfo of air, and partly of Fire, which
they affirm to be light Elements, how
comes it that it flaould be fo much hea-
vier then Earth of the famebulk,though
to fill up the porofities and other Cavi-
ties it be made up into a mafs or pafte
with Water, which it felf they allow to
be a heavy Element. But to returne to
our Spagyritfs, we lee that Chymical
Oyles and fixt Salts, though never fo
exquifitely purify 'd and freed fromter-
reftrial parts, do yet remain ponderous
enough. And Experience has jnform'd
me, that apound,forinftancc,of fome
of the heavieft Woods, as Guajacum
that will fink in Water , being burnt
to A{hes will yield a much lefs weight
of them ( whereof I found but a fmall
part to be Alcalyzate ) then much ligh-
X4 ter
ter Vegetables: As alfo thar the black
Charcoal of it will not fink as did the
wood, bur fwim ; which argues that the
Differing Gravity of Bodies proceeds
chiefly from their particular Texture3as
is manifeft in Gold , the elofeft and
Compa&eft of Bodies, which is many
times heavier then we can poflibly make
any i parcell of Earth of the fame Bulk,
I will not examine, what may be ar-
gu'd touching the Gravity or Quality
Analagous thereunto , of even Celeftial
bodies, from the motion of the fpots a-
bouttheSun, d from rthe appearing
equality of the fuppos'd Seas in the
Moon 5 nor confider how little thofe
Th&monea would agree with what Sen-
nertus prefumes concerning Gravity. But
further to invalidate his fuppofition, I
(hall demand, upon what Chymical
Principle Fluidity depends? And yet Flu*
idityis,two or three perhaps excepted,
the moil difmfed quality of the univerfe,
and far more General then almoft any
other of thofe that are to be met with
in any of the Chymical 1 Principles, cr
AriHotelian Elements ; fince not only
the Air, but that vaft cxpanfion we
call Heaven, in comparifon ©f which
* our
" (313)
our Terreftrial Globe f fuppofiag it were
all Solid ) is but a point 5 and perhaps
to the Sun and the fixt Stars are fluid
bodies. I demand alfo , from which
of the Chymical Principles Motion
flowes 5 which yet is an afTeclion of
matter much more General then any
that can be dedue'd from any of the
three Chymical Principles. "I might
ask the like Queflion concerning Lights
which is not only to be found in the
Kindl'd Sulphur of mixt Bodis, but (not
to mention thofe forts of rotten Woods,,
and rotten Eifh that {bine in the Dark)
in the tails of living Glow-wormes,
and in the Vaft bodies of the Sun and
Stars. I would gladly alfo know, in
which of the three Principles the Qua-
lity, we call Sound, refldes as in its
proper 5ubje&; fince either Oyl fall-
ing upon Oyle, or Spirit upon Spirit,
or Salt upon Salt, in a great quantity,
and from a confiderable height, will
make a noife, or if you plcafe, create
a found, and (that the objection may
reach the Aristotelians ) fo will alfo wa-
ter upon water, and Earth upon Earth.
And I could name other qualities to be
met within divers bodies, of which I
fup-*
fuppofe my Adverfaries will not in hafte
aflign any Subject, upon whofe Account
it muft needs be, that the quality be-
longs to all the other feveral bodies.
And, before I proceed any further, I
muft here* iiavite you to compare the
fuppofition we are examining, with
fome other of the Chymical Tenents.
For, firft they do in effeft teach that
more then one quality may belong to3
and be deduc'd from, one Principle.
For, they afcribe to Salt Tafts, and the
power of Coagulation \ to fulphur, as
well Odours as inflamablenefs ; And
fome of them afcribe to Mercury, Co-
lours 5 as all of them do effumability ,
as they fpeak. And on the other fide, it
is evident that Volatility belongs in
common to all the three Principles,
and to Water too. For 'tis manifeft,that
Chymical Oyles are Volatile ; That al-
fo divers Salts Emerging, upon the A-
nalyfis of many Concretes, are very Vo-
latile, is plain from the figitivenefs of
Salt, of Harts-horne, flefh, &c. amend-
ing in the Diftillation of thofe bodies.
How cafily water may be made to af-
cend in Vapours , there is fcarce any
body that has not obferv'd. And as
for
(315)
for what they call the Mercuriall Prin-
ciple of bodies, that is fo apt to be rais'd
in the form of Steam, that Paracelfa
and others define it by thataptnefs to
fly up ; fo that ( to draw that inference
by the way ) it feems not that Chy-
mifts have been accurate in their Do-
ctrine of qualities , and their refpe&ive
Principles, fmce they both derive feve-
ral qualities from the fame Principles
and muft afcribe the fame quality to al-
moft all their Principles and other bodies
bcfides. And thus much for the firft
thing taken for granted, without fuffi-
cient proof, by your Sennertus : And to
add that upon the Bye (continues Came-
fides ) we may hence learn what to judge
of the way of Argumentation", which
that fierce Champion of the Ari$ote-
liam againft the Chymifts , 4rthomus?^£%
Guntherus Billichius employes, where he vo. cap.
pretends to prove againft Begu'mm^ that *°,£*5^
not only the four Elements do imme-
diately concur to Conftitute every mixt
body, and are both prefent in it , and
obtainable from it upon its DiiTolution j
but that in the Tria Prima themfelves,
whereinto Chymifts are wont to refotae ;
mixt Bodies, each of them clearly dif- 1
covers
covers it felf to confift of four Elements.
The Ratiocination it felf ( purfues Car-
neades) being fomewhat unufual, I did
the other Day Tranfcribe it, and ( fayes
He3 pulling a Paper out of his Pocket )
it is this. Ordiamury cum Beguinoy a ligno
viridi) quod ft concremetur^ videbis infw
dore Aquam^infumo Aeremy inflamma &
Frum fgnem, Terr am in cineribus ' Quod
fi Beguinoplacuerit ex eo colligere humi-
dum apofam, cohibere humidum oleagi*
vofuniy extrabere ex cineribus falem ; £-
go ipfi in umquoque horum feorfim quatu*
or Elementa ad oculum demonflrabo, eodem
artificio quo in ligno viridi ea demonftravi,
Humorem aquofum admovebo Jgni, Ipfe
Aquam Ebullire videbit, in Vapore Aerem
cenfpiciety Ignem fentiet in £ flunks minus
Terra in fedimento apparebk. Humor
porro Oleaginofa aquam humiditate &flu-
iditate per fey aceenfm zero Ignem flam-
ma prodity fumo Aerem-, fuligine^ nidore
& amurca terram. Salem demque ipfe
Beguwm [tecum vocat & lerreftrem^ qui
tamert nee fufus Aquam 3 nee cauflica vi ig-
nem celare poteft 5 ignis vero Fiolentia in
balitm verfm nee ah Aerefe alienum ejje
demonflrat 5 Idem de LaBeyde Ovis, defe-
mke Uniy de.GarjophjUis3 de Nitra^
(3*7)
<de fde Marino^ demque de Antimonio^ quod
fun de Ligno vindi judicium 5 eadem de
thrum pmibw 3 qaas jBeguinus addudt^
fentenuA , qu& de viridis Ugm humort
■agucfiy q<t<z de kqwre ejufdem oleofo, qu<&
defale fuiu
This bold Difcourfe ( refumes CarneA-
flfc^puiting up again his Paper,) I think
it were not very difficult to confute^ if
Iiis Arguments were as confiderable as
our time will probably prove {hoi t for
the remaining and more neceflary Pare
of my Difcourfe 5 wherefore referring
You for an Anfwer to what was faid con-
cerning the Dhlipated Parts of a burnt
piece of green Wood, to what I told
Themiftim on the like occafion, I mighs
eafily fhew You3how fleightly and fupcr-
ficially our Gtmtherm talks of the dividing
the flame of Green Wood into his four
Elements; when he makes that vapour
to be air, which being caught in Glaffes
and condens'd , prefently difcovers it
felf to have been but an Aggregate of
innumerable very minute drops of Li-
quor ; and when he would prove the
Phlegmes being compos'd of Fire by that
H iat which is adventitious to the Liquor,
anckeafes upon the abfence of what pro-
' il&Y
duc'd it ( whether that be an Agitati-
on proceeding from the motion of the
External Fire , or the prefence of a
Multitude of igneous Atonies pervading
the pores of the Veffel, and nimbly per-
meating the whole Body of the Water)
I might, I fay, urge thefe and divers o-
, ther Weakneffesof His Difcourfe. But
I will rather take Notice of what is more
pertinent to the Occafion of this Digref-
fion, namely, that Taking it for Granted,
that Fluidity ( with which he unwarily
feems to confound Humidity ) muft pro-
ceed from the Element of Water, he
makes a Chymical Oyle to Confift of
that Elementary Liquor ; and yet in the
very next Words proves, that it coniifts
alfo of Fire,by its Infiamability 5 not re-
membring that exquifitely pure Spirit of
Wine is both more Fluid then Water
itfelf, and yet will Flame all away
without leaving the Leaft Aqueous
Moifture behind it ; and without fuch
an Amurea and Soot as he would De-
duce the prefence of Earth from. So
that the fame Liquor may according to
his Doctrine be concluded by its great
Fluidity to be almoft all Water ; and
by its burning all away to be all difgaifed
Fire
fire. And by the like way of Probati-
on our Author w.uld fhew that the fixe
falc of Wood is compounded of the
four Elements. For ( fayes he ) being
turn'dby the violence of the Fire into
fteames, it {hews it felf to be of kin
to Air 5 whereas I doubt whether he e-
ver faw a true fixt Salt (which to become
fo, muft have already endufd the vio-
lence of an Incinerating Fire ) brought
by the Fire alone to afcend in the Forme
of Exhalations ; but I do not doubt that
if he did, and had caught thofe Exhalati-
ons in convenient Veflfels, he would
have found them as well as the Steames
of common Salt, &c. of a Saline and not
an Aereal Nature. And whereas our Au-
thour takes k alfo for Granted, that the
Fufibilityof Saltmuftbe Dcduc'd from
Water, it is indeed fo much the Effect
of heat varioufly agitating the Minute
Parts of a Body, without regard to Wa-
ter,that Gold(which b) its beino- the hea-
vyeft and fixreft of Bodies, fhould be the
rnoft Earthy ) will be brought to Fufion
by aftrongFire; which furc is more like-
ly to drive away then increafe its Aque-
ous Ingredient, if it have any ; and on
the other fide3 for want of a fufficien t a-
gitation
(320)
gttation of its minute parts I Ice li
not Fluid , but Solid ; though he pre-
sumes alfo chat the Mordicant Quality of
Bodies muft proceed from a fiery ingredi-
ent j whereas, not to urge that the Light
and infkmable parts, which are the mod
likely to belong to the Element of Fire,
muft probably be driven away by that
time the violence of the Fire has redue'd
the Body to allies ; Not to urge this3 1
I fay, nor that Oylc of Vitriol which
quenches Fire, burnes the Tongue and
fiefh of thofe that Unwarily taft or apply
it, as a cauftick doth, it is precarious to
prove the Prefence of Fire in fixt falts
from their Cauftick power,unlcffe it were
firft fhewn, that all the Qualities as-
cribed to falts muft be dedue'd from
thofe of the Elements ; which, had 1
Time, I could eafily manifeft to be no '
eafy talk. And not to mention that our
Authour makes a Body as Homogene-
ous as any he can produce for Elementa-
ry , belong both to Water and Fire ,
Though it" be neither Fluid nor Infipid,
like Water ; nor light and Volatile, like
Fire ; he feems to omit in this Anato- I
my the Element of Earth, fave That
he incimateSjThat the fait may pafs for: ,
that ;
O*0 5
that s But firice a few lines before, lie
takes Aflies for Earth, I fee not how
he will avoid an Inconfiftency either
betwixt the Pares of his Difcourfe or
betwixt fome of them and his Doarine.
For fiijce There is a manifeft Difference
betwixt the Saline and theinfipid Parts
of Aftes, I fee not how fubftances That
I Difagrec in fuch Notable Qualities can
, be both faid to be Portions of an Ele-
i *nent, whofe Nature requires that it be
.1 Homogeneous , efpecially in this cafe
I where an Amlyfis by the Fire is fup-
i pos'd to have feparatcd it from the
•i admixture of other Elements , which
; are confefs'd by mod A riftotelim to be
- Generally found in common Earth > '
I and to render it impure. And Aire if
J when we have eonftder'd for how little
I a Difpatities fake the Peripateticks
$ make thefe Symbolizing Bodies Aire
l and Fire to be two Diftin& Elements ,
I We fhall alfo conftder that the Saline
{' part of Afh es is very ftrongly Tafted,
I and eafily foluble in Water 3 whereas
it the other part of the fame A{bes is
,. infipid and indiffoluble in the fame Li-
3 quor : Not to add, that the one fub-
j ftance is Opacous, and the "other fomc-
Y what
<3»>
what Diaphanous, nor that they differ
in Divers other Particulars 5 If we con-
ilder thofe things, I fay, we {hall hardly
rhink thac both thefe Subftances are E-
lementary Earth 5 And as to what is
fometimes objeeled,that their Saline Taft
is only an Effedl of Incineration and A-
duftion, ic has been elfewhere fully re-
ply'd to, when propos'd by Tbem'itfiuf,
and where it has been prov'd againft him,
that however infipid Earth may perhaps
by Additaments be turn'd into Salt,
yet 'tis riot like it (hould be fo by the
Fire alone : For we fee that when we
refine Gold and Silver, the violenteft
Fires We can Employ on them
give them not the Jeaft Rellifh of Sal t-
nefs. And I think Phihiwus has right-
ly obferv'd, that the Allies of fome
Concretes contain very little fait if any
at all 5 For Refiners fuppofe that bone'
allies are free from it 5 and therefore
make ufe of them for lefts and Cupped
A which ought to be Dcftitute of Salt,;
left the Violence of the Fire (hould 1
bring them to Vitrification ; And ha* j
ving purpofelyand needfully tafted a
Cuppelmadeof only bone- afhes and
fair water, which I had caus 'd to be ex-
pos'd
(3*3)
pos'd to a Very Violent Fire, acuated
by the Blaft of a large pair of Double
Bellows, I could not perceive that the
force of the Fire bad imparted to it the
Jeaft Saltnefs, or lb much as made it . lefs
Infipid.
But ( fayes Carneades ) fince neither
You nor I love Repetitions, I (hall not
now make any of what eife was urg'd a-
gainft Tbemiftws but rather invite You to
take notice with me that when cur Au-
thour, though a Learned Man, and one
that pretends skill enough inChymiftry
to reformc the whole Art,ccmes to
make good his confident Undertaking, to
give us an occular Demonftration of the
immediate Prefenceof the four Elements
in the refolution of Green Wood, He
is fain to fay things that agree very little
with one another. For about the be-
ginning of that paCfage of His lately re-
cited to you, he makes the fweat as he
calls it of the green Wood to be Water, ?
the fmoke Aire, the fhining Matter Fire,
and the A{hes Earth ; whereas a few /
lines after , he will in each of thefe,
nav ( as I juft now noted)in one Diftinft
Part of the Aflaes , (hew the four Ele-
ments. So that either the former Jr.A-
r a bft
(3H)
fyjfrmuft be incompetent to prove that
Number of Elements, fince by it the
burnt Concrete is not reduc'd into Ele-
mentary Bodies, but into (uch as are yet
each of them compounded of the four
Elements; orelfethefe Qualities from
which he eadeavours to deduce the
prefence of all the .Elements, in the fixe
ialt, and each of the other feparated
fubifances, will be but a precarious way
of probation : efpecially if you cortfider*
that the extracted Alcali of Wood,being
for ought appears at leaft as fimilar a
Body as any that the Perjpateticks can
fhewus, it its differing Qualities muft
argue the prefence of Dilfin6t elements,
k will fcarce be poffible for them by a-
ny way they know of employing the fire
upon a Body, tofhewthat any Body 1*9
a Portion of a true Element: And this
recals to my mind, that I am now but
in an occaGonal excuflion, which aim-
ing only to fhew that the Peripateticks |
as well as the Chymifts take in our pre-
fenrControverfiefomething for granted if|
which they ought to prove, Ifhallre- *
turne to my exceptions, where I ended \
the firft of them, and further tell you, \
that neither is that the only precarious '<
thing, f
(J»S)
thing that I take notice of in SennerM
his Argumentation 5 for when he in-
fos^ that bccaufe the Qualities he
Mentions as Colours , Smels, and the
like, belong not to the Elements ; they
therefore Viuft to the Chymical Princi-
ples, he takes that for granted, which
will not in hafte be prov'd 5 as I might
here manifeft , but that I may by and
by have a fitter opportunity to take no-
tice of it. And thus much at prefent may
fuifice to have Difcours'd againft the
Supposition, that almoft every Quali-
ty muft have fome **&& «y«wa as
they fpeak, fome Native receptacle ,
wherein as in its proper Subject of inhe r
fion it peculiarly refldes,and on whofe acr
count that quality belongs to the other
Bodies, Wherein it is to be met with.
Now this Fundamental Cuppofition be-
ing once Deftroy'd, whatsoever is built
upon it, muft fall to ruine of it felf.
But I confider further ^that Chymifts
are (for ought I have found ) far from
being able to explicate by any of the
Tria Prima, thofe qualities which they
pretend to belong primarily unto it ,
and in mixt Bodies to Deduce
from it. Its true indeed, that fuchqua-
Y 3 lilies
lities are not explicable by the four E-
lements j but it will not therefore fol-
Jow5that they are fo by the three hernae-
tical Principles 9 and this is it that feems
to have deceived the Chymifts, and is
indeed a very common miltake amongft
moil Dil'putants , who argue as if
there could be but two Opinions con-
cerning the Difficulty about which
they contend 3 and confequently they in-
t err , that if their Adversaries Opinion
be Erroneous , Their's muft needs be
the Truth $ whereas many qucftions3and
efpecially in matters Phyfiological, may
admit of fo many Differing ^Hypothefes,
that 'twill be very inconfiderate and fal-
lacious to conclude (except where the I
Opinions are precifely Contradictory )
the Truth of one from the falfity of a- I
nother. And in our particular cafe 1
'tis noway neceflary, that the Proper- t
ties of mixt Bodies' muft be explicable I
either by the Hermetical, or the Arifto* \\
telian Hypotbefis3 there being divers 0- ft
ther and more plaufible wayes of ex- in
plaining them 3 and efpecially that , i'k|
which deduces qualities from the moti- i
on5 figure, and contrivance of the fmall %
parts of Bodies 5 as I think might be ilj
fliewn,
(hewn, if the attempt were as feafona-
ble,as I fear it would be Tedious.
I will allow then, that the Chymifts
do not caufelefslyaccufethe Doctrine of
the four elements of incompetency to ex-
i plain the Properties of Compound bo-
| dies. And for this Reje&ion of a Vul-
gar Error, they ought not to be denyd
i what praife men may deferve for ex-
, ploding a Doctrine whofe Imperfecti-
l ons are fo confpicuous, that men need-
j ed but not to (hut their Eyes, to dis-
cover them. But I am miftaken, if our
, Hermetical Philofophers Themfelves
i need not, as well as the Peripateticks,
have Recourfe to more Fruitfull and
Comprehenfive Principles then the tria
Prima , to make out the Properties of
the Bodies they converfe with. Not
to accumulate Examples to this pur-
pofe, ( becaufe I hope for a fitter op-
portunity to profecute this Subject) let
us at prefent only point at Colour, that
you mayguefs by what they fay of (o
obvious and familiar a Quality, how
little Interaction we are to expect from
the Tria Prima in thofe more abftrufe
ones, which they with the Arrfotdians
ftile Occult. For about Colours, nei-
Y4 ther
ther do they at all agree among them-
felvcs, nor have I met with any one, of
which of the three Perfwafions foever,
that does intelligibly explicate Them.
The Vulgar Chymilts are wont to af-
ve Co«j cribe Colours to Mercury ; Paracelfus m
fJlfu' ^vcrs P^ace5 attributes them to Salt ->
fag. \26. and Semertufy having recited their dif-
fering Opinions, Diltcnts from both,
and referrs Colours rather unto Sul-
phur. . But how Colours do, nay, how
they may, arife from either of thefe
Principles, I think you will fcarce fay
that any has yet intelligibly explicated.
And if" Mr. Boyle will allow me to (new
you the Experiments which he has col-
lected about Colours , you will,! doubt
not, confefs that bodies exhibite colours,
not upon the Account of the Predomi-
nancy of this or that Principle in them,
but upon that of their Texture,and espe-
cially the Difpofition of their fuperficial
parts, whereby the Light rebounding,
thence to the Eye is fo modifi'd, as by
differing Impreffions varioufly to affeft
the Organs of Sight. I might here take
notice of the pleallng variety of Co-
lours exhibited by the Triangular glafs,
( as 'tis wont to be call'd ) and demand,
what
what addition or decrement of either
Salt, Sulphur, or Mercury, befalls the
Body of the Glafs by being Prifmati-
cally figur'd 5 and yet 'tis known , that
without that ihape it would not af-
for'd thofe colours as it does.But becaufe
it may be objeded, that thefe are not
real, but apparent Colours 5 that I may
not lofe time in examing the Di*
ftindtion, I will alledge againft the Chy-
mifts, a couple of examples of Real and
Permanent Colours Drawn from Me- '
talline Bodies, and reprefent, that with-
out the addition of any extraneous bo-
dy, Quickfilver may by the Fire alone,
and that in glafs Ve&ls, be deprivd
of its filver-like Colour, and be tmrfd
into a Red Body ; and from this Red
Body without Addition like wife may
be obtain'd a Mercury Bright and Spe-
cular as it was before 5 So that I have
here a lafting Colour Generated and
Deftroy'd ( as I have feen ) at pleafure,
without adding or taking away either
Mercury , Salt, or Sulphur 5 and if you
take a clean and .{lender piece of har-
den'd Red, and apply to it the flame
of a candle at fome little diftance fhort
of the point, You (hall not have held
the
(11°)
the Sreel long in the flame, but You
(hall perceive clivers Colours, as Yel-
low, Red and Blew, to appear upon
the Surface of the metal , and as it
were run along in chafe of one another
towards the point ; So that the fame
body, and that in one and the fame
pare, may not only have a new colour
produced in it, but exhibite fuccefiively
divers Colours within a minute of an
hour, or thereabouts *, and ariyofthefe
Colours may by Removing the Steel
from the Fire, become Permanent, and
laft many years. And this Produaion
and Variety of Colours cannot reafo-
nably be fuppos'd to proceed from the
Acceffion of any of the three Princi-
ples, to which of them foever Chy-
miftswillbe pleas'd toafcribe Colours;
efpecially confidering, that if you but
fuddenly Refrigerate that Iron , Firft
made Red hot, it will be harden'd and
Colourlefs again ; and not only by the
Flame of a Candle , but by any other
equivalent heat Conveniently appli'd,
the like Colours will again be made to
appear and fucceed one another,as at the
Firft. But I muft not any further pro-
fecutean Occafional Difcourfe, though
that
Am)
that were not fo Difficult for me to
do, as I fear it would be for the Chy-
mifts to give a better Account of the
other Qualities, by their Principles, then
they have done of Colours. And your
Sermertus Himfelf ( though an Author I
much value ) would I tear have been ex-
ceedingly puzl'dtorefolve,by the TrU
Prima, halfe that Catalogue of Pro-
blems, which he challenges the Vulgar s erC<
Peripateticks to explicate by their four de con.'
Elements. And fuppofing it were true, f±*s- &
that Salt or Sulphur were the Princi- paj! i?$,
pie to which this or that Quality may I<56«
be peculiarly referr'd, yet though he
that teaches us this teaches us iome-
thing concerning That quality, yet he
Teaches us but fomethin^. For indeed
he docs not Teach us That which can
in any Tollerable meafure fatisfie an in-
quifitive Searcher after Truth. For
what is it to me to know, that fuch a
quality refides in fuch a Principle or E-
lement, whiltl: I remain altogether ig-
norant of the Caufe of that quality,
and the manner of its production and
Operation I How iittlc do I know more
then any Ordinary Man of Gravity, if
I know but that the Heavinefs of mixc
bodies
mi)
bodies proceeds from that of the Earth
they are compos'd of, if I know not the
reafon why the Earth is Heavy > And
how little does the Chymift teach the
Philofopher of the Nature of Purgati-
tion, if he only tells him that the Purga-
tive Venue ot Medicines refides in their
Salt > For, btfides that this muft not
be conceded without Limitation, fmce
the purging parts of many Vegetables
Extra£ed by the Water wherein they
are infus'd, are at moft but fuch com-
pounded Salts, ( I mean mingl'd with
Oylc , and Spirit, and Earth, as Tartar
and divers other Subje&s of the Vegeta-
ble Kingdom affords ) And fince too that
Qiickfilver precipitated either with
Gold, or without Addition, into apow-
dermis wont to be ftrongly enough Ca-
thartical, though the Cbymifts have not
yet prov'd , that either Gold or Mercu-
ry have any Salt at all, much lefs any
that is Pargative ; Befidcs this, I fay,
how little is it to me, to know That
tis the Salt of the Rhubarb ( for In-
ftance ) that purges, if I find That k
does not purge as Salt ; fmce fcarce any
Elementary Salt is in fmall quantity ca-
thamcah And if I know not how
pur-
(333)
Purgation in general iserTe&edin a Hu-
mane Body l In a word , as 'tis one
thing to know a mans Lodging*
and another, to be acquainted with him ;
(bit may be one thing to know the fub-
jecl: wherein a Quality principally re-
(ides,and another thing to have a right
notion and knowledg of the quality its felf .
Now that which I take to be the reafon
of this Chymical Deficiency, is the fame
Upon whofe account I think the jiriflo-
telim and divers other Theories incom-
petent to explicate the Origen of Quali-
ties. For I am apt to thinks that men
will never be able to explain the Pheno-
mena of Nature, while they endeavour to
deduce them only from the Prefencc and
Proportion of fuch or fuch material In-
gredients, andconfiderluch ingredients
or Elements as Bodies in a ftate of reft 5
whereas indeed the greateft parr of the
affections of matter, and confequendy of
the Phenomena of nature,feems to depend
upon the motion and the continuance of
the fmall parts of, Bodies. For 'tis by
motion that one part of matter acts upon
another $ and 'tis, forthemoft part, the
texture of the Body upon which the mo-
ving parts ftrike, that modifies to moti-
on
(354)1
onorlmpreflfion, and concurrs with it
to the production of thofe Effects which
make up the chief part of the Naturalifts
Theme.
But ( fayes Eleutherim ) me thinks for
all this?you have left (orae part of what I
alledg'd in behalf of the three principles,
unaniwer'd. For all that you have laid
will not keep this from being a ufefui
Difcoveryj that fince in the Salt of one
Concrete J, in the Sulphur of another
and the Mercury of a third, the Medici-
nal venue of it refides, that Principle
ought to be fcparated from the reft,
and there the dciired faculty muft be (
fought for. j
I never denyed ( Replyes Cameades ) \
that the Notion of the Tria Prima may
be of fome ufe, but (continues he laugh- j
ing ) by what you now alledg for it, .
it will but appear That it is ufefui to A- '
pothecaries, rather than to Philofophcrs, j.
The being able to make things Opera- j
tive being fuficient to thofe , whereas i
the Knowledge ofCaufes is the Thing
looked after by Thefe. And let me /'
Tell You, Eleutherm , even this it felf J
will need to be entertained with fome ^
caution. /
For ;
(335)
For firft, it will not prefcntly fol-
low, Thar if th tPurpative or other ver-
tue of a fimple may be eafily extracted
by Water or Spirit of Wine, itRefides
in the Salt or Sulphur of the Concretes
Since unleffe the Body have before been
refolved by the Fire , or fome Other
Powerful Agent, it will, for the moft
part, afford in the Liquors I have nam-
ed, rather the finer compounded parts of
itfelf,Than the Elementary ones. As '
I noted before, That W7ater will diffolve
not only pure Salts, but Crytfals of
Tartar, Gummc Arabick, Myrr'h , and
Other Compound Bodies. As alfo
Spirit of Wine will Diffolve. not only
the pure Sulphur of Concretes, but like-
wife the whole Subftance of divers Re-
finous Bodies, as Benzoin, the Gum-
mous parts of Jallap, Gumme Lacca ,
and Other bodies that are counted per-
fectly Mixt. And we fee that the Extracts
made either with Water or Spirit of
Wine are not of a fimple and Elemen-
tary Nature, but Maffes confuting of
the loofcr Corpufcles, and finer parts
of the Concretes whence they are
Drawn ; fince by DifUllation they may
be Divided into more £kmentary fub-
ftances. Next
OS*)
Next, we may confider That even
when there intervenes a Chymical re-
folution by he Fire, 'tis feldom in the
Saline or Sulphureous principle, asfuch,
that the defir'd Faculty of the Concrete
Refides ; But, as that Titular Salt or
Sulphur is yet amixt body, though the
Saline or Sulphureous Nature be predo-
minant in it. For, if in Chymical Re-
solutions the feparated Subftances were
pure\and fimple Bodies, and of a per-
fect Elementary Nature 5 no one would
be indued with more Specifick Vermes,
than another 5 and their qualities would
Differ as Little as do thofe of Water.
Andj let me add this upon the bye,That
even Eminent Chymifts have fuffer'd
themfelves to be reprehended by me for
their over great Diligence in purifying
fome of the things they obtain by Fire
from mixt Bodies. For though fuch
compJcatly purifyed Ingredients of Bo-
dies might perhaps be more fatisfa&ory
to our Underftanding 5 yet others are
often more ufeful to our Lives, the effi-
cacy of fuch Chymical Productions de-
pending _moft upon what they retain of
the Bodies whence they are feparated,or
gain by the new aflbciafions of the Dif-
fipared
(337)
fipated among themfelvcs; whereas
if they were meerly Elementary, their
ufes would be comparatively very fmall ;
and the venues of Sulphurs > Salts, or
Other fuch Subftances of one denominati-
on, would be the very fame.
And by the Way ( Eleutherius ) I am
inclined upon this ground to Think, Thar
the artificial resolution of compound
bodies by Fire does not fo much en-
rich man"kind,as it divides them into their
fuppofed Principles 5 as upon the fcore
of its making new compounds by new
combinations of the dhlipated parts of
the refolv'd Body. For by this means
the Number of mixt Bodies is confide ra-
bly increafed* And many of thofe new
productions are indow'd withufeful qua-
lities, divers of which they owe not t&
the body from which they were obtein'd5
but to Their newly Acquired Tex-
ture.
But thirdly, that which is principally
CD be Noted is this, that as there are di-
vers Concretes whofe Faculties refide
in fome one or other of thofe differing
Subftances that Chymifts call their Sul-
phurs, Salts, and Mercuries, and con-
fequentlymay be beft obtain'd., by ana-
Z lyzing
( 338)
lyzfng the Concrete whereby the defir-
ed Principles may be had fevefd or freed
from the reft $ So there are other where-
in the nobleft properties lodge not in the
Salt, or Sulphur, or Mercury, but depend
immediately upon the form (or if you
will ) refult from the determinate ftru-
£turc of the Whole Concrete 5 and
confequently they that go about to ex-
tracVthe Vermes of fuch bodies, by ex-
poiing them to the Violence of the Fire5
do exceedingly miftake, and take the
way to Deiiroy what they would ob*
win,
Ircmmember that Belmont himfelf
fomewhere confeffes. That as the Fire
betters fome things and improves their
Vermes, fokfpoyles others and makes
them degenerate. And elfewhere he
judiciouily affirmes, that there may
be fometimes greater vertue in a fimple,
fuch as Nature has made it, than in any I
thing that can by the fire be feparatcci I
fcefrrionc rom *r' . Anc* ]cft y°u fhould doubt -i
vmvm! whether he means by the venues, of fi
& Die- things thofe that are Medical ; he has in ti
Nov.* P, one place this ingenuous confeffion \Cte* I
45S. ' ^fayes he) fimplicia in fua fimplictMe ejje (
menu a pro j anat tone omnium morhormn.
Nag.
Nag. Barthias,even in a Comment upon
Beguinus, fcruples not to make this ac-
knowledgments Falde dfurdumeft (Tayes Vzf^
he) ex omnibus rebm extraBa facer e^ fa- Lib.'f/
Ua>> quints efjemiat s pr<efertim ex fubftan- C*V' l*<
tits per fe plane vel fublilibus vel homogeneity
pales fwMunioneS) Cor alii a> Mefcm^Am-
bra, &c. Confonantly whercunto be
a!fo tells Us ( and Vouches the famous
Platerm, for having candidly given thc
lame Advertifement to his Auditors, )
that fome things have greater vertues3and
better fluted to our humane nature ,when,
unprepar'djthan when they have paft the
Chymifts Fire 5 as we fee, fayes my Au-
thor, in Pepper 5 of which fome grains
fwallowed perform more towards the
relief of a Diftempered ftomack, than a
great quantity oftheOyle of the fame
fpice.
It has been ( purfues Cameades) by our
Friend here prefent obferv'd concerning
Salt-petre, that none of the fubftances
into which the Fire is wont to divide it,
retaines either the Taft, the cooling ver-
tue3 or fome other of the properties of
the Concrete 5 and that each of thofe
Subftances acquires new qualities, not to
be found in the Salt-Petre it felf. The
Z z {tuning
(34°)
fhtning property of the tayls of gloworras
does furvive but fo fhort a time the little
animal made confpicuous by it, that m-
quifitive men have not fcrupled publickly
to deride Baptifla Porta and others 5 who
deluded perhaps with fome Chymical
furmifcs have . ventur'd to prefcribe the
diftillation of a Water from the tayles of
Glowormes, as a fure way to obtain a li-
quor {hining in the Dark. To which I
ihall now add no other example than
that afforded us by Amber ; which 3
whilft it remains an intire body, is en-
dow'd with an Electrical faculty of
drawing to it felf fethers,(trawes,and fuch
like Bodies 5 which I never could obfervc
either in its Salt., its Spirit, its Oylc, or
in the Body I remember I once made
by the reunion of its divided Elements 5
none of thefe having fuch a Texture as
the intire Goncrete. And however
Chymifts boldly deduce fuch and fuch
properties from this or that proportion
of their component Principles 5 yet in
Concretes that abound with this or that
Ingredient, 'tis not alwayesfo much by
vertueofits prefence, noritsplenty,that
the Concrete is qualify M to perform fuch
and fuch Effects 5 as upon the account
of
(341)
of the particular texture of that and the
other Ingredients , aitociared after a
determinate Manner into one Concrete
C though pofiibjy fuch a proportion of
that ingredient may be more convenient
than an other for the conftituting of fuch
a body.) Thus in. a clock the hand is
mov'd upon thedyal3the bell is ftruck^and
the other actions belonging to the engine
areperform'd, notbecaufe the Wheeles
areofbrafsoriron3 or part of one metal
and part of another , or becaufe the
Weights are of Lead, but by Vertue of
the ilze, fhape, bignefs., and coaptati-
on of the. feveral parts 5 which would
perfornae the fame things though the
wheels were of Silver3or Lead,or Wood3
and the Weights of Stone or Clay 5 pro-
vided the Fabrick or Contrivance of
the engine were the fame : though it
be nor to be deny'd, that Braffe and
Steel are more convenient materials to
make clock-wheels of than Lead., or
Wood. And to let you fee, Ekztberiw,
that 'tis fometimes at leaft, upon the
gesture of the fmall parts of a body, and
not alwaiesupon the prefence3or receffe,
orincreafe, or Decrement of any one of
its Principle , that it may lofe fome
Z z fuch
(i4i)
fuch Qualities, and acquire fome fuch o*
thers as arc thought very ftrongly inhe-
rent to the bodies they Refide in. I
will add to what may from my paft di-
fcourfe be refer'd to this purpofe, this
Notable Example, from my Own expe-
rience s That Lead may without any ad-
di Lament, and only by various applica*
tions of the Fire y lofe its colour ,
and acquire fometimes a gray,fometimes
a jellowiifyfometimes a red, fometimes
anamethihftine coloured after having paft
through thefe,and perhaps divers others^
again recover its leaden colour, and be
made a bright body. That alfo this
Lead, which is fo flexible a metal, may
be made as brittle as GlafTe, and prefent-
ly be brought to be again flexible and
Malleable as before. And befides, that
the fame lcad,which I find by Microfcopes
to be one of the moft opacous bodies in
the World3 may be reduced to a fine
tranfparentglafle ; whence yet it may
returne to an opacous Nature again; ana
all this, as I {kid, without the addition of
any extraneous body, and meerly by the
manner and Method of expofing it to the
Jfre.
But ( fayes Carneades ) after having al-
ready
(343)
ready put you to fo prolix a trouble, it
is time for me to relieve you with a pro-
mife of putting fpeedily a period to it 5
And to make good that promife, I fhall
from all that I have hitherto difcourfed
with you, deduce but this one proportion
by way of Corollary. [_That it may as
yet be doubted^ whether or no there be any de-
terminate Number of Elements 5 Or> if yon
fleafey whether or no all compound bodies y
do conf ft of the fame number of Elementary
ingredients or material Principles,']
This being but an inference from the
foregoing Difcourfe, it will not be ret
quifite toinfiftatlarge on the proofs of
it ; But only to point at the chief <pf
Them, and Referr You for Particulars
to what has been already Delivered.
In the Firft place then, ' from what
has been fo largely difcours'd, it may ap-
pear, that the Experiments wont to be
brought, whether by the common Peri-
pateticks, or by the vulgar Chymifts, to
demonftrate that all mixt bodies are
made up precifely either of the four E-
lements,or the three Hypoftaticai Prin-
ciples, do not evince what they are al-
ledg'd to prove. And as for the ote
common arguments, pretended to be
Z 4 drawn
(344)
drawn from Reafon in favour of the A-
riftotelian Bypothefis ( for kW Chymifts
are wont to rely almoft altogether upon
Experiments ) they are Commonly
grounded upon fuch unrcafonable or pre-
carious Suppofmons, that 'tis altogether
as eafie and as juft for any man to re-
ject them, as for thofe that take them
for granted to alTcrt them., being indeed
all of them as indemonftrable as the con-
clusion to be inferred from themjand fome
, of them fomanifeitly weak and proof-
IefFe;that he muft be a very courteous ad-
verfary,that can be willing togrant them;
and as unskilful a one, that can be com-
pelled to do (o.
In the next place,it may be con fide red3
if what thofe Patriarchs of the SfigjriftQ
Paracelfus and Helmont, do on divers oc-
cafions pofitively deliver, be true; name-
ly that the Aikabetf docs Refolve all
mixt Bodies into other Principles than
the fire, it muft be decided which of the
tworefolutio'ns (that made by the Al-
W?, or that made by the fire) (hall
'determine the number of the Elements,
before we can be certain how many
there are.
And in the mean time, we may take
no*
f345)
notice in the laft place, that as the di-
fttoafubftances whereinto the Alkahefl
divides bodies, are affiim'd to be differ-
ing in nature from thofe whereunto they
are wont to be re-
duc'd by fire, and . Novi Uv*w & lapdes omnes
to be Obtain d Irom & *quiPonderanten redvcere Uf-
fome bodies more queomniprorfusfulpburcaut Mer-
in Number than LUrt0' HcImont. pag> 400j
from fome others 5
fince he tells us, he could totally reduce
all forts of Stones into Salt only, where-
as of a coal he had two diftindfc Liquors.
So, although we jfliould acquicfce in that
refolution which is made by fire, we find
not that all rnixt bodies are thereby di-
vided into the fame number of Elements
and Principles ; fome Concretes afford-
ing more of them than others do ;Nay
and fometimes this or that Body afford-
ing a greater number of Differing fub-
ftances by one way of management, than
the fame yields by another. And they
that out of Gold, or Mercury, or Mufco-
vy-glaffe, will draw me as many diftincT:
fubftances as I can feparate from Vitriol,
or from the juice of Grapes varioufly or-
derd, ma^ teach me that which I fhall
very Thankfully learn. Nor does it ap-
pear
pear more congruous to that variety that
fo much conduceth to the perfection of
the Univerfe, that all elemented bodies
be compounded of the fame numberof E-
lements3then it would be for a language,
that all its words (hould confift of the
fame number of Letters.
THE
(347)
THE
SCEPTICAL CHYMIST
OR,
A Paradoxical Appendix to the
Foregoing Treatife*
The Sixth Part.
J Ere Camesdes Having Difpach't
what be Thought Requifite to op-
pofe againft what the Chymifts are
wont to alledge for Proof of their three
Principles, Paus'd awhile, and look'd
about bim3todifcover whether it were
Time for him and his Friend to Re-
joyne the Reft of the Company. But
EUtitberius perceiving nothing yet to
cm)
forbid Them to Profecute their Dif-
courfe a little further, kid to his Friend,
( who had likewife taken Notice of
the fame thing ) I halfe expe&ed, Car-
veades, that after yon had fo freely de-
clared Your doubting, whether there be
any Determinate Number of Elements,
You would have proceeded to queftion
whether there be any Elements at all.
And I confefs it will be a Trouble to me
If You defeat me of my Expedation ;
efpecially fince you fee the Jeafure we
have allow'd us may probably fufrice ro
examine that Paradox ; becaufe you
liave fo Jargly Deduc'd already many
Things pertinent to it, that you need but
intimate how you would 'have them
Apply'd, and what you would inferr
from them.
Carneades having in Vain reprefented
that their leafure could be but very
feort , that he had already prated very
long, that he was unprepared to main-
tain fo great and fo invidious a Para-
dox, was at length prevail'd with to
tell his Friend 5 Since, Eleuthenw, you
will have me Difcourfe Ex Tempore of
the Paradox you mention^ I am content,
C though more perhaps to exprefs my
( 34* )
Obedience 3 then my Opinion) to tell
you that (fuppofingthe Truth of HtU
monts and Paraceifafs Alkaheftieai Ex-
penmems,if I may fo call them ) though
it may feem extravagant, yet it is not
abfurd to doubt, whether, for oughc
has been prov'd , there be a neceifity
to admit any Elements, or Hypoftatical
Principles,at all.
And, as formerly, fo now, to avoid
the needlefs trouble of Difputing fede-
rally with the Aristotelians and the Chy-
mills, I will addrefs my fclf to oppofe
them I have laft nam'd , Becaufe their
Doctrine about the Elements is more
applauded by the Moderns, as pretend-
ing highly to be grounded upon Expe-
rience; And, to deal not only fairly
but favourably with them, I will allow
them to take in Earth and Water to
their other Principles. Which I con-
ifent to, the rather that my DifcOutfe
may the better reach the Tenents of the
Peripateticks 5 who cannot plead for a-
ny fo probably as for thofe two Ele-
ments 5 that of fire above the Air be-
ing Generally by Judicious Men explo-
ded as an Imaginary thing 5 And the
Air not concurring to compofe Mixc
bodies
(35°)
Bodies as one of their Elements^ but
only lodging in their pores, or Rather
ieplemYhingj by reafon of its Weight
and Fluidity, all thofe Cavities of bo-
dies here below, whether compound-
ed or not, that are big enough to ad-
mit it, and are not fill'd up with any
groflfer fubftance.
And, to prevent miftakes, I muft ad-
vertize You, that I now mean by Ele-
ments , as thofe Chymifts that fpeak
plaineft do by their Principles, certain
Primitive and simple, or perfectly un-
mingled bodies % which not being made
of any other bodies , or of one ano-
ther, are the Ingredients of which all
thofe call'd perfe&ly mixt Bodies are
immediately compounded, and into (
which they are ultimately refolved ; now j
whether there be any one fuch body to ^
be conftantly met with in all, and each; j
of thofe that are faid to be Elemented j,
bodies, is the thing I now queftion. I
By this State of the controvcrlie you *
will, Ifuppofe, Guefs,that I need not k
be fo abfur'd as to deny that there are '
fuch bodies as Earth, and Water, and .
Quickfilver,and Sulphur: But Hook upon J
Earth and Water* as component parts j.
ol
CssO
of theUniverfe, or rather of the Ter*
reftrial Globe, not of all mixt bo-
dies. And though I will not peremp-
torily deny that there may fometimes ei-
ther a running Mercury ,or a Combuftible
Subftance be obtain'd from a Mineral, or
even a Metal ; yet I seed not Concede
either of them to be an Element in the
fence above declar'djas I (hall have oc-
cafion to fhew you by and by.
To give you then a brier account of
the grounds I intend to proceed upon3
I mutt tell you, that in matters of Phi-
lofophy , this feems to me a furficient
reafon to doubt of a known and impor-
tant proportion, that the Truth of it is
not yet by any competent proof made
to appear. And congruously herunto,
if I fhew that the grounds upon which,
men are perfwaded that there are E-
lements are unable to fatisfie a confi-
dering man, I fuppofe my doubts will
appear rational.
Now the Confiderations that induce
men to think that there are Elements,
trmy be conveniently enough refcrr'd to
two heads. Namely, the one ,that it is
riecefTary that Nature make ufe of E-
kments to constitute the bodies that
are
are reputed Mixt. And the other,That
the Reiolutionof fuch bodies manifefts
that nature had compounded them of
Elementary ones.
In reference to the former of thefe
Confidcrations, there are two or three
things that I have to Reprefent.
And I will begin with reminding you
of the Experiments I not long fince re-
lated to you concerning the growth of
pompions,mint,and other vegetables,out
of fair water. For by thofe experiments
its feems evident, that Water may be
Tranfmu ted into all the other Elements*
from whence it may be inferr'd, both.
That 'tis not every Thing Chymifts will <
call Salt, Sulphur, or Spirir, that needs
alwayes be a Primordiate and Ingene-
rable body. And that Nature may con-
tex a Plant ( though that be a perfectly
mixt Concrete ) without having all the
Elements previoufly prefented to her to J
compound it of. And, if you will allow lj
the relation I mention'd out of Mounfieur
De Rochas to be True ; then may not !
only plants, but Animals and Minerals !
too, be produced out of Water , And r
however there is little doubt to be made, f
but that the plants my tryals afforded me ft
as
(353)
as they were like in fo many other re-
fpe&s to the reft of the plants of the fame
Denomination , fo they would, in cafe
Ihadredue'dthem to putrefa&ion,have
Iftewife produc'd Wormes or other
infe&s, as well as the refembling Vege-
tables are wonrtodo; fo that Water-
may, by Various Seminal Principles*
be fucceilively Tranfmuted into both
plants and Animals. And if we confi-
der that not only Men, but even fuck-
ing Children are, but too often, Tor-
niented with Solid Stones, but that di-
vers forts of Beafts themfelves, ( whate-
ver Belmont againft Experience think to
the contrary ) may be Troubled with
great and Heavy ftones in their Kid-
1 neys and Bladders, though they Feed
but upon Grafs and other Vegetable?,
! that are perhaps but Difguifed Water,
\ it will not feem improbable that even
1 fome Concretes of a mineral Nature*
1 may Likewife be form'd of Water.
We may further Take notice, that
as a Plant may be nourifht, and con-
\ fequently may Confift of Common wa-
I ter s fo may both plants and Animals i
| (perhaps even from their Seminal Ru-
1 diments ) confift of compound Bodies,
A a without
(3S4)
without having any thing meedy Ele-
mentary brought them by nature to be
compounded by them: This is evident in
divers men, who whilft they were Infants
were fed only with Milk, afterwards
Live altogether upon Flefh, Fifh, wine,
•and other perfectly mixt Bodies. It J
may be feen alfo in fheep, who on fome
of our Englim Downs or Plains., grow
very fat by feeding upon the grafle,witk-
out fcarce drinking at all. And yet
more manifeftly in the magots that breed
and grow up to their full bigneiTe with-
in the pulps of Apples, Pears, or the
like Fruit. We fee alfo, that Dungs
that abound with a mixt Salt give a much
more fpeedy increment to corn and o-
ther Vegetables than Water alone
would H© : And it hath been affur'd me}
byamanexperiene'd in ftich matters,
that fometimes when to bring up roots
very early, the Mould they were plant-
ed in was made over-rich, the very fob-
ftance of the PJant has rafted of the
Bung. And let us alfo confider a Graff
of one kind of Fruit upon the upper
bough of a Tree of another kind. As
forinftance, the Ciens of a Pear upon a
•White-thorne $ for there the attending
"a
(ass) ;
Liquor is already alter'd, either by the
root, orinitsafcentbythcbark, or both
wayes, and becomes a new mixt body i
as may appear by the differing qualities
to be met with in the laps of feveral trees^
as particularly, the medicinal vertue of
the Birch- Water ("which I have fonie-
times drunk upon Helmoms great and
not undeferved commendation) Now the
graft, being faften'd to the flock mull
neceffarilynouriiti its felf,and produce
its Fruit, only out of this compound
i Juice prepared for it by the Stock, being
i unable to come at any other aliment* And
I if we confider, how much of the Vegeta-
ble he feeds upon may C as we noted
( above) remain in an Animal -> we may ea-
fily fuppofc, That the blood of that Ani-
Jmal who Feeds upon this, though it be a
Well conftituted Liquor,and have all the
'differing Corpufcles that make it up kept
^in order by one prsfiding form, may be a
!ftrangely Decompounded Body,many of
'its parts being themfelves decompound^
,ed. So little is it NccerTary that even in •
'the mixtures which nature her felf makes
fin Animal and Vegetable Bodies , fhe
fhould have pure Elements at hand to
J make her competitions of.
A a i Having
Having faid thus much touching the
conftitution of Plants and Animals, I
might perhaps be able to fay as much
touching that of Minerals,, and even Me-
talls, if it were as eafy for us to make ex-
periment m Order to the production of
thefe, as of thofe. But the growth or
increment of Minerals being ufually a
work of excefTively Ions time, and for
the moft part perform'd in the bowels of
the Earth, where we cannot fee it, I
muftinftead of Experiments make life,
on this occafion, of Obfervatbns.
That ft ones were not all made at once,
hut that are fome of them now adayes
generated;, may ( though it be deny'd by
fome ) be fully prov'd by fevcral exam- ft;
pies, of which t {hall now fcarce allcdg f
any other, then that famous place isb
trance known by the name of Les Caves h
GemereSy where the Water falling from V1
the upper Parts of the cave to the ground M
does prefently there condenfeinto little ft'
ftones, of fuch figures as the drops, fa!- k
ling either feverally or upon one another, ft
and coagulating prefently into ftone, ^
. chance to exhibit. Of thefe ftones fome h
[Ingenuous Friends of ours, that went a '
'while face to vffit that place., did me
the ft
!«
I * C337)
', the favour to prefen e mc with fome that
I they brought thence. And I remem-
ber that both that fober Relator of his
I Voyages, Van Ltnfchote»> and another
good Author, inform us that in the Dia-
mond Mines ( as they call them ) in the
\Eaff- Indies , when having dig'd the
'Earth, though to no great depth, they
find Diamonds and take them quite a-
l!,way 5 Yet in a very few years they find
% the fame place new Diamonds pro-
duc'd there fince. From both which
^Relations, efpecially the firft, k feems
jbrobable that Nature does not alwayes
%ay for divers Elementary Bodies, when
Jfee is to produce (tones. And as for
%Ietals themfelves. Authors of good note
ctaffure us, that even they were not in the
^beginning produc'd at once altogether,
fbut have been obferv'd to grow 5 fo that
fwhat was nora Mineral or Metal before
f 'became one afterwards. Of this it were
iieafietoalledgmany teftimonies of pro-
tfeffed Chymifts. But that they may
We the greater authority, I (hall rather
(prefent you with a few borrowed from
'more unfufpe&ed writers. Sul.buris Mi-
[neram ( as the inquifitive P. Vdlofm
•notes) qua nutrix eft caloris "f»fcm*f\
A a 3 i*n
(I5§)
fabrifeiiArchM f outturn & miner a!iums
infra ten an citiffime renafci te$antur Hi-
slorijt Metallic^. . Sunt enim loca e qui-
. bm fi hoc annofulpbur effojjumfuerit s in-
termiffafoffione per quadriennium redeunt
fijjores if omnia fulphure, ut auteay rurfui
inventunt plena, Pliny Relates., Inltalk
Infil a llvay gigni ferri metallum. Srra-
bo multo exprejfiM y effojjum tbi met all* m
femperregenerari. Namfi effojfio fpath
Centura annorum inter mittebatur, & iterum
ilkc reuertebanUir> fojjores reperiffe maxi- j
warn copiam ferri regeneratam. Which ii
hiftory not only is countenanced by Fal- \
lopiM, from the Incom which the Iron of i
that Ifland yielded the Duke of Florence M
in his time 5 but is mention'd more c- %
preflfely to our porpofe, by the Learned as
Cefalpinm. Vena ( fayes he ) ferri copio- m
fijfima ef in Italia % ob earn nobilitata iht ki
Tirrbeni maris InfdaincredibiUcopia> eti' k\
6m no fir is temper thus earn gignens : Nam \
terra qua ernitur dam vena effoditur totOy (jj(
procedente tempore in venam convertitwf. hi
Which laft claufe is therefore very nota- U
b!e5 becaufe from thence'we may deduce, \
that cartb,by a Metalline plaftick princi- i*jj
pie latent in it, may be in procefie of time ^
ghang'd into a metal, And even AgricoU kf,
himfelf,
bimfclf 3 though the Chymifts complain
of him as their adverfary, acknow-
ledges thus much and more ; by telling
ds that at a Town : . ,
11 j c • ^ In Lygns. ad Sagam ottdum-)in
Called Saga m Ger- pratis eruirur ferrum , foffis ad al-
TAM% they dl2 Up I- thudinem bifedaneam aSis. Id de-
-^«.., *U^ "Ejiu L., cennio renatum derma foditur nan
ronmtheFields,by AnieT M iiv^fmum.
finking ditches two
foot deeps And adding, that within f&*
thefpaceof ten years the Ditches are
digged again for Iron fincc produced, '
As the fame Metal is wont to be ob-
tain^ in Elva. Alfo concerning Lead,
not to mention what even Galen notes,
that k will increafe both in bulk and
Weight if it be long kept in Vaults or
Sellars, where the Air is grofs and thick,
as he collets from the fmelling of thofe
pieces of Lead that were imploy'd to
fallen together the parts of old
Statues. Not to mention this, I fay,
Bwcacim Certaldus , as I find him
Quoted by a Diligent Writer, has this
Palfage touching the Growth of Lead.
Fejjularum mom < fayes he ) in Betruria>
Florentine civitati imminens, Upides plum-
bavios babel \ quifi excidantur> bvevi tern-
foris fpatiQy novis incrementis inftauran~
tar h & ( annexes my Author ) tradit
Aa4 Boccacim
BoccAcias CertjJdttty qui id compotifflmum
ejje fcribit. Nihil hoc novi efi 5 fed de
etdem Pliniw> lib. 34. Hifl, Natur. cap»
17. dtidmn prodidit% Inquiens 5viirum in
his foils plumbi metallu 3 quod dereliBa
fertilius revivifcunt. In plumb ariis fe-
cundo Lapide al Amberga diBis ad A~
'ft? fylum recrement* conge ft* in cumuhs^ ex-
popafolikti phviifque paucis annis^red-
duntfuum metallum cum fenore. I rruVht
Add to thefe, continues Carneades, many
things that I have met with concerning
die Generation of Gold and Silver.But,
for fear of wanting time y I (hall men-
tion but two or three Narratives. The
pirft you may find Recorded by Ger?
■bardus the Phyfick ProfefTor,- in thefe
Words. In mile (fayeshe ) Joachimaca
argentum gramini modo & more e Lapidi-
bm miner* velut e radice excreviffe digki
Longitudine,tefiis efl Dr. Schretem, qui
ejufnodi venas afpettu jucundas & ad-
mir&hiles Domifua aliis fape monftravit &
D.mavit. Item Aqua tardea InvenU \
eft AnwbergAy ubi argentum erat adjmc j
in primo ente, p<e coagulaU redaBa eft 0 (
f alee m fix i & boni argent i.
The other two Relations I have not )
tnct within Ratine Auchpurs, and yet \
they
(3*x)
tbey are both very memorable in them-*
felves, and as pertinent to our prefent.
purpofe.
The firft I meet with in the Commen-
tary of Johannes V&lehm upon the Kleine
Zaur, In which that Induftrious Chy-
mift Relates, with many ciroimftances,
that at a Mine-Town ( If I may fo
Englifh the German JSe/gflat) eight
miles or Leagues diftant from Straflurg
calFd Mariflkirch} a Workman came to
the Overfcer, and defired employment 3
but he telling him that there was not a-"
jiy of the beft fort at prefentfor him,
added that till he could be prefcrr'd to
fome fuch, he might in the mean time,,
to avoid idlenefs, work in a Grove or
Mine-pic thereabouts, which at that
time was little efteem'd. This Work-
man after fome weeks Labour, had by
a Crack appearing in the Stone upon
a Stroak given near the wall, an Invi-*
tation Given him to Work his Way
through, which as foon as he had done,
Jits Eyes were faluted by a mighty ftone
or Lump which flood in the middle of
the Cleft ( that had a hollow place be-
hind it) upright, and in Chew like an
armed-man 5 but confifted of pure fine
Sliver
Silver having no Vein or Ore by if, or
any other Additament,but flood there
free, having only underfoot fomething
like a burnt matter , and yet this one
Lump held in Weight above a iooo
marks., which;, according to the Dutch,
Account makes 500 pound weight of
fine filver. From which and other Cir-
cumftances my Author gathers 5 That
by the warmth of the place,., the Nobie
Metalline Spirits, ( Sulphureous and
Mercurial ) were carri'd from the neigh-
bouring Galleries or Vaults, through o-
ther (mailer Cracks and Clefts, into
that Cavity, and there collected as in a
clofe Chamber or Cellar , whereinto
when they were gotten, they did in pro-
cefsoftime fettle into the forementio-
ned precious mafs of Metal.
The other Germane Relation is of
That great Traveller and Laborious
Chymift Johannes ( not Georgia ) Agvico'
la ; who in his notes upon what Popp-
%is_ has written of Antimony, Relates,
that when he was among the Hungarian \
Mines in the deep Groves, he obferv'd |
that there would often arife in them a 1
warm Steam ( not of that malignant
(on which the Germains call sbveadt%
which
which (fayes he) is ameerpoyfon, and
often fuffocates the Diggers , which
faften'd it felf to the Walls ; and that
coming again to review it after a couple
of dayes, he difecrn'd that it was all ve-
ry fall:, and glittering; whereupon ha-
ving colle&ed it and Diftill'd it per Re-
tort Am , he obtain 'd from it a fine Spirit,
adding , that the Mine-Men informed
him, that this Steam or Damp of the
Englifh Mine (retaining the dutch Term)
would at laft have become a Metal, as
Gold or Silver.
I referr ( fayes Carneades )to another
Occafion, the Ufe that may be made of
thefe Narratives towards the explica-
ting the Nature of Metalls ; and that of
Fixtnefs, Malleablenefs , and fome o-
ther Qualities confpicUous in them. And
in the mean time, this I may at pre-
fent deduce from thefe Obfervations,
That 'tis not very probable, that, when-
foever a Mineral, or even a Metall, is to
be Generated in the Bowels of the
Earth, Nature needs to have at hand
both Salt, and Sulphur, and Mercury to .
Compound it of 5 for, not to urge that
the two laft Relations feem lefs to fa-
vour the Chymifts than utrifotU, who
would
would have Metals Generated of cer-
tain Halitus or fteams, the forementi-
on'd Obfervations together, make it
feem more Likely that the mineral
Earths or thofe Metalline fteamsf where-
wich probably fuch Earths are plentifully
imbu'd ) do contain in them fome femi-
Ral Rudiment, or fome thing Equiva-
lent thereunto; by whofe pi attick pow-
er the reft of the matter, though per-
haps Terreftrial and heavy, is in Trad
of time fafhion'd into this or That me-
talline Ore ; almoft as I formerly noted,
that fair water was by the feminal Prin- '
ciple of Mint , Pompions , and other
Vegetables, contrived into Bodies an-
fwerable to fuch Seeds. And that fuch
Alterations of Terreftrial matter are not
impoflible , feems evident from that no-
table Practice of the Boylers of Salt-
petre, who unanimoufly obferve, as j
well here in England as in other Coun-
tries , That i[ an Earth pregnant with J
Nitre be deprtv'd, by the affufion of wa-1
ter,of all its true and dilToluble Salt, yet J
the Earth will after fqme years yield*
them Salt-Petre again 5 For which rea-*.
fon fome o^ the eminent and skillfullefl
of them keep k m heaps as 3 perpetual
Mine
Mine of Salt Petre ; whence it may ap~
pear, thac the Seminal Principle of Ni-
tre latent in the Earth does by degrees
Transfotme the neighbouring matter in-
to a Nitrous Body ; for though I deny
that fome Volatile Nitre may by fuch
Earths be attracted ( as they fpeak )
out of the Air, yet that the inner-
moft parts offuch great heaps that lye
fo remote from the Air fhould borrow
from it all the Nitre they abound with,,
is not probable, for other reafons be-
fides the remo tent fs of the Air, though
I have not the Leafure to mention
them.
And I remember, that a perfonof
Great Credit, and well acquainted with
the wayes of making Vitriol, afBrm'd
to me, that he had obferv'd, that a kind
of mineral which abounds in that Salt ,
being kept within Doors and not ex-
. pos'd ( as is ufual ) to the free Air and
Rains, did of it felf in no very long time
turn into Vitriol, not only in the out-
• ward or fupcrfiJal , but even in the in-
ternal and moft Central parts.
And I al fo remember, that I met
with a certain kind • of Merkafite thac
Jay together in great Quantities under
ground^
ground, which did, even in my chamber 3
in fo few hours begin of it felf to turne in-
to Vitriol,~that we need not diftruft the
newly recited narrative. But to return to
what I was faying of Nitres as Nature
made this Salt-Petre out of the once al~
moft and inodorous Earth it was bred
in, and did not find a very ftinking and
corrofive Acid Liquor, and a fharp Al-
calyzate Salt to compound it of, though
thefe be the Bodies into which the Fire
diffolves it 5 fo it were not neceffary that
Nature fhould make up all Metals and
other Minerals of Pre-exiftent Salt, and
Sulphur, and Mereury, though fuch
Bodies might by Fire be obtained from
it.Which one consideration duly weigh'd
is very confiderable in the prefent con-
troverfy : And to this agree well the
Relations of our two German Chymifts 3
for befides that it cannot be convincing-
ly prov'd, it is not fo much as likely that J
fo languid and moderate a heat as that
within the Mines, fhould carry up to Co
great a heat, though in the forme of
fumes, Salt, Sulphur and Mercury ,fince
we find in our DifUlIations, that it re*
quires a confiderable Degree of Fire to
raife fo much as to the height of one
foot
(3*7)
foot not only Salt, but even Mercury k
ielf, inclofeVeflels. Andifitbeobjea-
ed, that it feems by the ftink that is
(ometimes obferv'd when Lightening
falls down here below, that fulphureous
fteams may afcend very high without
any extraordinary Degree of heat $ It
may be anfwer'd, among other things^
that the Sulphur of Silver is by Chymifts
faid to be a fixt Sulphur, though not [al-
together fo well Digefted as that of
cSw.
But, proceeds Carneade^ If it had
not been to afford Youfome hints con-
cerning the Origine of Metals, I need
not have dedue'd any thing from thefe
Obfervations ; It not being neceflary to
the Validity of my Argument that my
Deductions from them (hpuld be irre-f
fragable , becaufe my Adverfaries the
Ariftoteliam and Vulgar Chymiits do not,
I prefume, know any better then I, a
priori, of what ingredients Nature com-
pounds Metals and Minerals, For their
Argument to prove that thofe Bodies
are made up of fuch Principles, is drawn
a p after tori ; I mean from this, that upon
the Analjfis of Mineral bodies they are
refolv'dinto thofe differing fubftances.
That
That we may therefore examine thte
Argument, Let us proceed to confidef
what can be alledg'd in behalf of the £•
lements from tke Refolutions of Bodies
by the fire 3 which you remember was the
fecond Tophick whence 1 told you the
Arguments of my Adverfaries were de-
fum'd.
And that I may firft difpatch what I
have to fay concerning Minerals, I wilt
begin the remaining part of my difcourfe
with confidering how the fire divides
them.
And flrft, I have partly noted above,
that though Chymifts pretend from fome
to draw falt,from others running Mercu-
ry, and from others a Sulphur 3 Yet they
have not hitherto taught us by any way
in us among them to feparate any one
principle, whether Salt, Sulphur, or
Mercury3 from all forts of Minerals with-
out exception. And thence I may be a\4
low'd to conclude that there is not any of,
the Elements that is an Ingredient of all
Bodies, fince there are fome of which ;
it is not (o.
In the next place,fuppofing that either
Sulphur or Mercury were obtainable'
from all forts of Minerals. Yet ftill this 1
Sul-i
i¥9)
Sulphur or Mercury would be but a com-
pounded, not an Elementary body, as
i told you already on another occafion;
And certainly he that takes notice of the
wonderful Operations oi Quickfilver,
whether it be common, or drawn from
Mineral Bodies, can fcarce be fo inconfi-
derate as to think it of the very fame na-
ture with that immature aud fugitive fub-
itance which hi Vegetables and Ani-
mals Chymifts have been pleas'd to call
their Mercury. So that when Mercury
is got by the help of the fife out of a me-
tal or other Mineral Body, if we will
not fuppofe that it was not pre-exiftent in
it, but produe'dby the a&ion of the fire
upon the Concrete, we may at leaft fup-
pofe this Quickfilver to have been a per-
fed Body of its own kind ( though per-
haps lefle heterogeneous then more ie-
cundary mixts) which happen'd to be
mingY&per minima and coagulated with
the other fubftances, whereof the Metal
or Mineral confuted. As may be exem-
plyfied partly- by Native Vermillion
wherein the Quckfil ver and Sulphur be-
ing exquifuely blendedboth with one a-
nothcr, and that other courfe Mineral
fluff C what ever it be) that harbours
Bb them,
them, make up a red body differing e-
nough from both , and yet from which
part of the Quickfilver, and of the Sul-
phur, may be eafily enough obtain'd 5,/
Partly by thofe Mines wherein nature has
fo curioufly incorporated Silver with
Lead, that 'tis extreamly difficult, and
yetpoffible, tofeparate the former out J
of the Latter. And partly too byna-r
tive VitrioJ,wherein the Metalline Cor- S
pufcles are by skill and induftry fepara-
blefrom the faline ones, though they
be fo con-coagulated with them^thatj
the whole Concrete is reckon'd ampngl
Salts.
And here I further obferve, that I ne-
ver could fee any Earth or Water, pro-
perly fo call'd, feparated from either
Gold or Silver ( to name now no other
Metalline Bodies ) and therefore to re-
tort the argument upon my Adverfaries»|
I may conclude, that fince there arq
fomc bodies in which, for ought appearsJ
there is neither Earth nor Water. I
may be allow'd to conclude that neither
of thofe two is an Univerfal Ingredient
of all thole Bodies that are counted per-
fe<5tly mixt, which I defire you would re-
member againft Anon*
( lit )
It may indeed be obje&ed, that the
reafon why from Gold or Silver we can*
not fcparate any moifture, is,becaufe that
when it is melted out of the Oare^ the
vehement Fire requifite to its Fufion
fore'daway all the aqueous and fugitive
moifture 5 and the like fire may do from
the materials of Glafs. To which I
(hall Anfwer , that I Remember I
read not long fince in the Learned
Jofepbus Acoftay who relates it upon his
own obfervation 3 that in America s^'* *
( where he long lived ) there is a kind of and'Sfei
Silver which the Indians call Papas> and1.5**
fometimes ( fayes he ) they find pieces 0fthJy
very fine and pure like to fmall round indies,!,
roots, the which is rare in that metalj Ifjf ,pl
bur ufuall in Gold j Concerning which
tmetal he tells us, that befides this they
tfind fome which they call Gold in grains.*
iwhichhe tells us are fmall morfels of
;Gold that they find whole without mix-
(ture of any other metal, which hath no
need of melting or Refining in the
ifire.
f I remember that a very skilful and
j credible perfon affirmed tome, that be-
singin the Hungarian mines he had the
good fortune to fee a mineral that was
1 " £b a there
there digg'd up, wherein pieces of Gold
of the length, and alfo almoft of the
bignefs of a humane Finger, grew in
the Oar, as if they had been pares and
Branches of Trees.
And I have my felf feen a Lump of
whitifh Mineral, that was brought as
a Rarity to a Great and knowing Prince,
wherein there grew here and there in-
the Stone, which looked like a kind of
fparr, divers little Lumps of fine Gold*
(for fuch I was affured that Tryal had
mamfefted it to be ) fome of theffl
Seeming to be about the Bkncfs of
peafe. D
But that is nothing to what our A< '
eofta fubjoynes, which is indeed very '
memorable, namely, that of the mor- ,
els of Native and pure Gold, which wc
lately heard /him mentioning he had
now and then km fome that weighed f
many pounds; to which I (hall add,!'
gS**-£« I my felf have feen a Lump of !e
(ore-cited «» not long fince digged up, in whofe,f!
fed20ny P*rt tbere grew,almoft like1*
^geof "CCS, divers parcels though not ofltE
Sd jT ' yct.ofCwhat perhaps Mmenlife*
& twu- uTC Tndcr ac ') mother Metal P
which teed to be very pure or un-,Ja
mixtrc
mitt with any Heterogeneous Subflbm-
ces, and were fotne of them as big as
my Finger,, if not bigger. But upon
Obfervations of this kind, though per-
haps I could, yetlmuft not at prefent
dwell any longer.
To proceed Therefore now (fayes
Ctmeades) to the Confideration of the
dndyfis of Vegetables , although my
Tryals give me no caufe to doubt but
that out of mod of them five differing
Subftances may be obtain'd by the fire,
yet I think it will not be fo eafily De-
nionftrated that thefe deferve to be
call'd Elements in the Notion above ex-
i plain'd.
i And before Idefcendto particulars,
i I {ball repeat and premife this General
,i Confideration., that thefe differing fub-
I ftances that are call'd Elements or
| Principles, differ not from each other as
! Metals, Plants and Animals, or asfuch
I Creatures as are immediately producd
each by its peculiar Seed, and Confli-
tutes a diftinffc propagable fort of Crea-
s tures in the Univerfe ; but thefe are on-
ly Various Schemes of matter or Sub-
: fiances that differ from each other, but
in confidence (as Running Mercury and
Bb3 ^e
d74)
the fame Metal congeal'd by the Vapor
of Lead) and fome very few other ac-
cidents, as Taft, or Smel, or Inflama-
bility, or the want of them. So that by
a change of Texture not impoflible to
be wrought by the Fire and other A-
gents that have the Faculty not only
to dhTociate the fmal parts of Bodies,
but afterwards to connect them after a |
new manner, the fame parcell of mat-
ter may acquire or loie fuch accidents
asmay'fufficeto Denominate it £alt,or
Sulphur, or Earth. If I were fully tj i
clear to you my apprehenfions con-
cerning this matter, I (hould perhaps
be obliged to acquaint you with divers
;of the Conjectures ( for I muft yet cafl ]
[them no more ) I have had Concerning
the Principles of things purely Corpo-
real: For though becaule I feem not
.fatisfi'd with the Vulgar Do£trines,ei- d
ther of the Peripatetick or ParaceJfr'V
an Schools, many of thofe that know Si
me, ( and perhaps, among Them, Ekti* \ {
therm himfelfj have thought me wei?- \
ded to the Epicurean Bjpothefes, (as \
others have miftaken rae for an B& fi
yiomiani)yet if you knew how little ithj
Conyerfant I have been with £/>/«»•«*! 6
i
(37S)
Authors, and how great a part of Lu*
cretin* himfelf I never yet had the Cu-
riofity to read, you would perchance
be of another mind 5 efpecially if I were
to entertain you at large, I fay not, of
my prefent Notions ; but of my former
thoughts concerning the Principles of
things. But, as I laid above, fully to
clear my Apprchenfions would require
a Longer Difcourfe than we can now
have.
For, I fhould tell you that I have
fometimes thought it not unfit, that to
the Principles which may be aflign'd to
things, as the World is now Confti-
tuted, we fbould, if we confider the
Great Mafs of matter as it was whilft
the Univerfe was in making, add ano-
ther, which may Conveniently enough^
be call'd an Archite&onick Principle
or power; by which I mean thofe
Various Determinations, and that
Skilfull Guidance of the motions
of the fmall parts of the Univer-
fal matter by the moft wife Author of
things, which were neceiTary at the be-
ginning to turn that confus'd Chaos into
this Orderly andbeautifull World 5 andj
Efpecially, to contrive the Bodies of A-l
r 7 Bb4 mmalsl
(IJ6)
nimals and Plants, and the Seeds of
thofe things whofe kinds were to be
propagated. Forlconfefs I cannot well
Conceive, how from matter , Barely
put into Motion, and then left to it felf,
there could Emerge fuch Curious Fa-
bricks as the Bodies of men and perfect
Animals, andfuch yet more admirably
Comriv'd parcels of matter, as the feeds
of living Creatures,
I fhould likewife tell you upon what
grounds, and in what fence, I fufpected
the Principles of the World, as it now
is, to be Three., Matter, Motion and
Re&, I fay, as the World now is , be-
caufe the prefent Fabriek of the Uni-
verfe, and efpecially the feeds of things,
together with the eftablifht Courfeof
Nature, is a Requiilte or Condition,
Upon whofe account divers things may
be made out by our three Principles,
which otherwife would be very hard, ii
polfible,to explicate,
I fhould moreover declare in gene^
ral (fori pretend not to be able to do
it otherwife ) not only why I Conceive
that Colours, Odors, Tafts, Fluidnefs
and Solidity, and thofe other qualities
*hat DiverfijSe and Denominate Bodies
may
(377)
may Intelligibly be Deduced from
thefe three , but how two of the Three
Epicurean Principles (which, I need not
tell, you are Magnitude, Figure and
Weight ) are Themfelves Deducible
from Matter and Motion 5 finee the
Latter of chefe Variously Agitating,
and, as k were, Diftrafting the Former,
.muft needs disjoyne its parts 5 which be-
ing Actually feparated muft Each of
them nccefiarily both be of fome Size,
and obtain fome ifcape or other. Nor
did I add to our Principles the Ariflote-
lean Privotiony partly for other Reafoxis,
which I muft not nowftay toinfiftonj
and partly becaufe it feems to be ra-
ther an Antecedent, or a Terminus <t quo,
then a True Principle, as the ftarting-
Poft is none of the Horfes Legs or
Limbs.
I fhould alfo explain why and how
I made reft to be, though notfoconfi-
derable a Principle of things, as Moti-
on, yet a Principle of them 5 partly be-
caufe it is (for ought we know as An-
cient at Ieaft as it, and depends not upon
Motion, nor any other quality of mat-
ter 5 and partly, becaufe it may enable
the <Body in which it. happens to be.
(373)
both to continue in a State of Reft till
fome external force put it out of that
ftate, and to concur to the production
of divers Changes in the bodies that
hit againft it, by either quite flopping
or Jefsriing their Motion ( whilft the bo-
dy formerly at Reft Receives all or part
of it into it fclf ) or elfe by giving a new
Bvafs, or fome other Modification, to
Motion, that is, To the Grand and Pri-
mary inftrument whereby Nature pro-
duces all the Changes and other Qua-
lities that are to be met with in the
World.
I fhould likewife, after all this, ex-
plain to you how, although Matter, Mo-
tion and Reft, feem'd to me to be the
Catholick Principles of the Univerfe,!
thought the Principles of Particular bo-
dies might be Commodioufly enough
reduced to two,namely Matter,and(wbat
Comprehends the two other, and their
effects ) the refuh or Aggregate of thofe
Accidents , which are the Motion or
Reft, ( for in fome Bodies both are aot to
be found ) the Bignefs, Figure, Tex-
ture ) and the thence refulting Qualities
of the fmall parts ) which are neceffa-
«7 to intitle the Body whereto they
be-
(37?)
belong to this or that Peculiar Deno-
mination; and difcriminating it frorno*
tbers to appropriate it to a Determi-
nate Kind of Things, as YelJownefs ,
£ ixtnefs, fuch a Degree of Weights
aid of Ductility, do make the Portion
of matter wherein they Concur, to be
rcckon'd among perfect metals, and ob-
tain the name of Gold, ) Which Ag-
gregate or refult of Accidents you? may,
if You pleafc. call either Structure or
Texture.
Though indeed, that do not fo proper-
ly Comprehend the motion of the con-
stituent parts especially in cafe fome of
them be Fluid, or what other appella-
tion {hall appear moil: Expreflive, Or
if, retaining the Vulgar Terme, You
will call ic the Forme of the thing it de-
nominates , I fhall not much oppofe it 5
Provided the word be interpreted to
mean but what I have exprefsd, and
not a Scholaftick SdfiaKtial Forme,
which fo many intelligent men profefs
to be to them altogether Un-intelligt-
ble. ,
But/ayes Carneadcsrf you remember
that 'tis aSceptick fpeaks to you, and
that 'tis not fo much my prefent Talk
to
td make afTertions as to fuggeft doubts, I
hope you will look upon what I have
propos'd,ratheroas a Narrative of my for-
mer con je&ures touching the principles
of things, then as a Refolute Declarati-
on of my prefent opinions of them ; es-
pecially fince although they cannot but
appear Very much to their Difad-
vantage, If you Confidcr Them as
they arepropos'd without thofe Rea-
ions and Explanations by which I
could perhaps make them appear much
leffe extravagant 5 yet I want time to of-
fer you what may be alledg'd to clear
and countenance thefe notions ; my de-
fign in mentioning them unto you at pre-
fent bemg^artly, to bring fome Light and
Confirmation to divers paffages of my
difcourfe to you yvmlyxo fhewyou,that
I ^o not ( as you leem to have fufpected j
embrace all Epicurus his principles ; but
Diflent from him in fome main things, as
well as from Arlftoth and the Chymifts,
in othttsi$c. partly alfo,or rather chiefly,ro
intimate to you the grounds upon which
Ilikewife differ from Belmont in this ,
that whereas he afcribes almoft all things,
and even difcafes themfelves, to their de-
terminate Seeds 5 I. am of opinion, that
be-
(3Si)
befides the peculiar Fabricks of the Bo-
dies of Plants and Animals (and per-
haps alfo of fome Petals and minerals)
which I take to be the Effe&s of feminal
principles, there are many other bodies
in nature which have and deferve diftiricl:
and Proper names, but yet do but refule
from fuch contextures of the matter they
are made of, as may without determi-
nate feeds be effected by heat, cold, arti-
ficial mixtures and cornpofitions, and di-
vers other caufes which fometfmes nature
imployes of her own accord 3 and often-
times man by his power and skill makes
ufe of to faihion the matter according to
his Intentions. This may be exemplifi- !
ed both in the productions of Nature,and '
in thofeofArt; ofthe&rft fort I might]
name multitudes , but to {"hew how
Height a variation of Textures without
addition of new ingredients may procure
a parcel of matter divers names , and
make it be Lookt upon as Different
Things 5
I fhall invite you to obferve with me ,
That Clouds, Rain, Hail, Snow, Froth,
and Ice, may be but water, having its
parts varyed as to their fizeand diftance
m refpedt of each other^ and as to-motion
and
and reft. And among Artificial Produ-v
clions we may take notice ( to skip the
Cryftals of Tartar ) of Glafs, Regulus,
Martis-Stellatus, and particularly of the
Sugar of Lead, which though made of
that infipid Metal and four (alt of Vina-
ger, has in it a fweetnefTe furpaffing that
of common Sugar, and divers other qua-
lities, which being not to be found in ei-
ther of its two ingredients, mult be con-
fefs'd to belong to the Concrete it felf>
upon the account of its Texture.
This Consideration premised, it will
be, I hope, the moreeafic to perfwade
you that the Fire may as well produce
fome new textures in a parcel of matter ^
as deftroy the old.
Wherefore hoping that you have not
forgot the Arguments formerly imploy'd
againft the Do&rine of the Tria prima 5
namely that the Salt, Sulphur and Mer-
cury, into which the Fire feems to refolve
Vegetable and Animal Bodies, are yet
compounded, notfimple and Elementa-
ry Subftances; And that ( asappeared
by rhe Experiment of Pompions)the Tria
prima may be made out of Waterjhoping
I fay, that you remember Thefe and the
other Things that I formerly rcprefenred
(382)
to the fame purpofe, I (hall now add on-
Iy,thatif we doubt not the Truth offome
of Helmwts Relation, We may well
doubt whether any of thefe Heteroge-
neities be flfay not pre-exiftent , fo as
to convene together, when a plant or
Animal is to be conftitutedbut )io much
as in-exiftent in the Concrete whence
they are obtain'd , when the Chymrfts
firlt goes about to refolve it 5 For, not to
infift upon the un-inflamableSpirit of fuch
Concretes, becaufe that may be pretend-
ed to be but a mixture of Phlegme and
Salt 5 the Oyle or Sulphur of Vegetables
or Animals is, according to him, reduci-
ble by the he/p of Lixiviate Salts into
Sope ; as that Sope is by the help of re-
peated Diftillations from a Caput Mortu-
um of Chalk into infipid Water. And as
for thefaline fubftance
thar fprms fensrahle Omne autem Alcali addit*
tnat leems leparaoie pnguedme in aqueum 1^0-
from miXt bodlCS 5 the rem, qui tandem mera fcfim-
fame Helmonts tryals ply aqua faredmim, O/
r , < . vi acre ejt in Sapone, Lacuna
give US caule to trunk, Upde\ &c J queries per
That it maybe a pro- adjmtlffixafemen Phgue*
dudion of the Fire,
which by tranfporting and otherwife al-
tering the particles of the matter,does
1 kins; it to a Saline nature,
0 For
(334)
For I know ( fayes he, in the place
formerly alledg'd to another purpofe ) a
way to reduce all ftones into a meer Salt
of equal weight with theftone whence it
was product, and^that without any of
the Jeaft either Sulphur or Mercury 5
which affeveration of my Author would
perhaps feem lefs incredible to You., if I
Surft acquaint You with all I could fay
upon that fubjeel:. And hence by the
way you may alfo conclude that the Sul-
phur and Mercury, as they call them,
that Chymifts are wont to obtain from
compound Bodies by the Fire, may I
poffibly in many Cafes' be the produ&i- I
. ons of it; finceif the fame bodies had
been wrought upon by the Agents em- i
ploy'd by Helmont^ they would have $
yielded neither Sulphur nor Afercury;and I
thofe portions of them which the Fire \
would have prefented Us m the forme 1
of Sulphureous and Mercurial Bodies fa
would have, by Helmonts method, been 1
exhibited to us in the form of Salt. , .
But though ( fayes Ekutherius ) You |
have alledg'd very plaufible Arguments ;
againft the trU Prima^ yet I fee not how
it will be poffible for you to avoid ac-
knowledging that Earth and Water arc
"~~" 'He-
(38s)
Elementary Ingredients, though not
of Mineral Concretes, yet of ail Ani-
mal and Vegetable Bodies 5 Since if any
of thefe of what fort foever be commit-
ted to Diftillation, there is regularly and
conftantly feparated from it a phlcgme
or aqueous part and a Caput Mortmm far
Earth.
1 readily acknowledged ( anfweis
• Carneacles) it is not fo eafy to reject Wa-
ter and Earth (and efpecially the former)
as Ys to rejed the Tria Prima> from be-
ing the Elcmems of mixt Bodies 5 but 'tis
not every difficult thing that is impoffi-
ble*
I confider then,as to Water, that the
chief Qualities which make men give
that name to any vifible Subftance, are^
that it is Fluid or Liquid, and that it is
infipid and inodorous* Now as for the
taft of thefe qualities, I think you have
never fcen any of thofe feparated fub-
ftances that the Chymifts call Phlegme,
which was perfectly devoyd. both of
Taft and Smell: and if you • object that
yet it may be reafonably fuppos'd, than
fince the whole Body is Liquid, the mafs
is nothing but Elementary Water faintly
imbu'dwithfomeofthe Saline or SuU
C c Ptoca
(335)
phureous parts of the fame Concrete,
which it retain'd with it upon its Separa-
tion from the Other Ingredients^ To
thislanfwer, That this Ob je&ion would
.not appear fa ftong as it is plaufiblej if
Chymifts understood the Nature of Flui-
dity and Compaanefle 3 and that, as I
formerly obferv'd , to a Bodies being
Fluid there is nothing neceffary, but that
it be divided into parts fraall enough ;
and that thefe parts be put into fucha
motion among themfeives as to glide
fome this way and fome that way, along
each others -Surfaces. -So that, al though
a Concrete were never (o dry, and had
not any Water or other Liquor in-
exiftent in it, yet fuch a Comminution of
its parts may be made, by the fire or o-
ther Agents, as to turn a great portion of
them into Liquor. Of this Truth I will
give aninftance, employ'd by our friend
here iprefent asone of the raoft conducive
of his experiments to Uluftratethe nature
of Salts. If you Take, then, fea fait and
melt it in the Fire to free it from the a-
queous parts, and afterward diftill it
witha vehement Fire from burnt Clay,
or any other, as dry a Caput ?nortuu?HSis
jou pleafe, you will,as Cbymiftsconfcis,
by
( 387)
by teaching it drive over a good part of
the Salt in the form of a Liquor. And
tofatisfy fome ingenious men , That a
great part of this Liquor was mil true
lea fait brought by the Operation of the
Fire into Corpufcles fo fmall, and per-
haps fo advantageoufly fhap'd,as to be
capable of the forme of a Fluid Body3
He did in my prefence poure to fuch fpi-
ritual falts a due proportion of the fpiric
( or fait and Phlegme ) of Urine, wherer
by having evaporated the fuperfluous
moifture, he foon obtain'd fuch another
Concrete, both as to taft and fmell, and
eafie fublimablencfs as common Salt At*
momack, which you know is made Up of
grofieandundiftill'dfeafalt united with
the falts of Urine and of Soot, which
two are very neer of kin. to e?.ch other.
And further, to manifeft that the Cor-
pufcles of fea fait and the Saline ones of
Urine retain their feveral Natures in this
Concrete, He mixt it with a convenient
quantity of Salt of Tartar, and commit-
ting it to Diftillation foon regain'd his
fpint of Urine in a liquid form by its felf ,
the Sea fait flaying behind with the Salt
of Tartar. Wherefore it is very poflible
that drv Bodies may by the Fire be re-
Cc % ' ducd
cm)
duc'd to Liquors without any feparation
of Elements, but barely by a certain kind
ofDi&pation and Comminution of the
matter,whereby its parts are brought in-
to a new (rate. And if it be ftill objected,
that the Phlegme of mixt Bodies mutt be
reputed water, becaufefo weak a taft
needs but a very fmall proportion of Salt
to impart it; It may be reply d3 that
for ought appears, common Salt and dU
vers other bodies , though they be di*
ftill'd never fo dry, and in never fo clofe
Veflels, will yidd each of them pretty
ftare of a Liquor,wherein though ( as I
lately noted) Saline Corpufcles abound*
Yet there is betides a large proportion ot
Phlegme, as may eafily be difcovcrcd by
coagulating the Saline Corpufcles with
any convenient Body 5 as I lately told
you, our Friend coagulated part of the
Spirit of Salt with Spirit of Urine : and
ss I have divers times feparated a fait
from Gyle of Vitriol it fclfrbough a very
ponderous Liquor and drawn from a fa-
line body ) by boyling it with a juft quan-
tity of Mercury, and then wafhing the
newly coagulated fait from the Precipi-
tate with fair Water. Now to what
sm we more probably afcribe this plenty
of
of aqueous Subftance afforded us by the
Dimilation of fuch bodies,than unto this,
That among the various operations of
the Fire upon the matter of a Concrete,
divers particles of that matter are re-
due'd to fuch a fhape and bigneffe as is re-
quifite to compofe fuch a Liquor as Chy-
mills are wont to call Phlegme or Water,
How I conjecture this change may be ef-
fected, 'tis neither neceiTary for me to tell
you, nor polfible to do {o without a much
longer difcourfe then were now feafona-
ble. But I defire you would with me re-
flecl: upon what I formerly told you con-
cerning the change of Qitckfilvcr into
Water $ For that Water having but a
very faint taft, if any whit more than
divers of thofc liquors that Chymifts re-
ferr to Phlegme $ By that experiment it
feems evident, that even a metalline bo-
dy, and therefore much more fuch as are
but Vegetable or Animal , may by a
fimple operation of the Fire be tutn'd in
great part into Water. And fince
thofe I difpute with are not yet able out
of Gold, or Silver, or divers other Con-
cretes to feparate any thing like Water 5
I hope I maybe allovv'd to conclude a-
gatnft Them, that water it felf is not an
C q 1 Univer-
(19Q)
Univerfal and pre-exiftent Ingredient of
Mixt Bodies.
But as for thofe Chymifts that, Sup-
pofing with me the Truth of what Bel-
mont relates of the MkaheH's wonder-
ful Effects, have a right to prefs me with
his Authority concerning them, and to
allcdge that he could Tranfmute all re-
putedly mixt Bodies into infipid and
meer Water 5 To thofe I fhall repre-
fent, That though his Affirmations con-
clude ftrongly againft the Vulgar Chy-
mifts (againft whom I have not there-
fore fcrupl'd to Employ Them ) fince
they Evince that the Commonly repu-
ted Principles or Ingredients of Things
are not Permanent and indeftruclible,
fince they may be further redue'd into
Infipid Phlegme differing . from them
all ; Yet till we can be allow'd to ex-
amine this Liquor, I think it not un-
reafonable to doubt whether it be not
fomething eKc then meer Water. For
I find not any other reafon given by
Belmont of his Pronouncing it fo, then
that it is infipid . Now Sapour being an
Accident or an Affcdion ot matter that
relates to our Tongue, Palate, and other
Organs of Taft, it may very poffibly be,
that
that the fmall Parts of a Body may be
of fuch a Size and Shape, as either by
their extream Littlenefs, or by tbeir flen-
dernefs, or by their Figure, to be una-
ble to pierce into and make a percepti-
ble Impreffion upon the Nerves or
Membranous parts of the Organs of
Taft, and what may be fit to work o-
therwife upon divers other Bodies than
meer Water can, and confequcntly to
Difclofe it felf to be of a Nature farr e-
nough from Elementary. In Silke. dyed
Red or ok any other Colour, whilft ma-
ny Contiguous Threads makes up a
skein , the Colour of the Silke is con-
fpicuous ; but if only a very few of them
belooktupon, the Colour will appear
much fainter then before. But it You
take out one fimple Thread, you (hall
not eafily be able to difcern any Colour
at all j So fubtile an Object having not
the Force to make upon the Optick
Nerve an Impreffion great enough to be
taken Notice of. It is alfo obferv'd,that
the beft fort of Oyl-Olive is almoft raft-
lefs, and yet I need not tell you how
exceedingly diftant in Nature Oyle is
from Water. The Liquor into which
I told you, upon the Relation of hdhy
Cc4 and
and Eye-witriefs that Mercury might be
Tranfmuted, hasfometimes but a very
Languid, ifanyTaft, and yet its Ope-
rations even upon fome Mineral Bodies
are very peculiar, Quickfilver it felf alfo,
though the Corpufcles it confifts of be
(o very fmall as to get into the Pores
of that Clofeft and compa&eft of Bo^
dies, Gold,ts yet (you know) altogether
Taftlefs. And our Belmont feveral times
tells us, that fair Water wherein a little
Quantity f Qaickfilver has lain for
fome time , though it acquire no certain
Taft or other fenhble Quality from the
Quickfilver 5 Yet it has a power to dp*
ftroy wormes in humane Bodies 5 which
he does much, but not caufelefsly extolL
And I remember,a great Lady, that had
been Eminent for her Beauty in Divers
Courts, confefsd to me, that this infipid
Liquor was of all innocent wafhes for
the Face the beft that {he ever met
with.
And here Jet me conclude my Dif-
courfe, concerning fuch waters or Li-
quors as I have hitherto been exami-
ning, with thefe two Confiderations.
Whereof the firft is, That byreafonof
our being won? to drink nothing but
,Wine2
'(3*3)
Wine, Bear, Cyder, or other flrongly
tafted Liquors, there may be in feveral
of thefe Liquors, that arc wont to pafs
for iniipid Phlegme, very peculiar and
Piftincl:,Tafts though unheeded ( and
perhaps not to be perceiv'd) by Us,
For to omit what Naturalifts affirm of
Apes, ( and which probably may be
true of divers other Animals ) that they
have a more exquifite palate than Men;
among Men themfelves, thofe that are
worn ro drink nothing but water may
( as I have tryd in my felf ) Dif-
cern very fenfibly a great Difference of
Tafts in fevera! water s,which one un-ac-
cuftomed to drink water would take
to be all alike iniipid. And this is the
fir ft of my two Confiderations 5 the O*
ther is. That it is not impoffible that
the Corpufcies into which a body is dif-
fipated by the Fire may by the Opera*
tion of the fame fire have their figures
fo altered, or may be by afTociations
with one another brought into little
Maflfes of fuch a Sac and Shape, as not
to be fit to make fenfible ImprefTions on
the Tongue. And that you may not
think fuch alterations impoffible, be
pleafed to confider with me , that not
only
(3?4)
•nly the fharpeft spirit of Vinager ha-
ving diffolved as rnuchCorall as ic can,
will Coagulate with it into a Subftance,
which though foluble in water, like fait,
is incomparably lefs ftroagly Tafted
then the Vinager was before 5 but (what
is more confiderable ) though the A-
cid falts that are carried up with Quick-
silver in the preparation of common
fublimateare iofharp, that being moi-
ftened with water it will Corrode fome
of the Metals themfelves , yet this Cor-
rofive Sublimate being twice or thrice
re-fublim'd with a full proportion of in-
fipid Quickfilver, Constitutes ( as you
know ) that Factitious Concrete ,
which the Chymifts call Mercuriw dul-
eis s not becaufe it is fweet, but becaufe
the fharpnefs of the Corrofive Salts is
fo taken away by their Combination
with the Mercurial Corpufcles, that the
whole mixture when it is prepar'd is
judg'd to be infipid.
And thus (continues Carneades) ha-
ving given you fome Reafons why I re-
fufe to admit Elementary water for a
conftant Ingredient of Mixt Bodies, It
will be eafie for me to give you an Ac-
count why I alfo rejeft £arth.
For
(3P5)
For firftyt may well be fufpe&ed that
many Subftanccs pafs among Chyaiifts
under the name of Earth, becaufe, like
it, they are Dry, and Heavy, and Fixt 3
which yet are very farr from an Ele-
mentary Nature. This you will not
think improbable, If you recall to mind
what I formerly told you concerning
what Chymiftscall the Dead Earth of
things, and efpecially touching the cop-
per to be drawn from the Caput M&r-
luum of Vitriol 3 And if alfo you allow
me to fubjoyn a cafual but memorable
Experiment made by Johannes Agrico-
la upon the Terra Damnata of Brim-j
ftone. Our Author then tells us (in
his notes upon Pdpws>) that in the year,;
1 6m he made an Oyle of Sulphur ; the j
remaining Faces he reverberated in a
moderate Fire fourteen dayes 3 after-
wards he put them well luted up in a
Wind Oven , and gave them a ftrong
Fire for fix hours, purpofing to calcine
the Faces to a perfect Whitencfs, that
he might make fometing elfe out of
them. But coming to break the pot,
he found above but very little Faces,
and thofe Grey and not White 3 but
beneath there lay a fine Red ReguU
which
which he firft marveird at and knew
not what to make of, being well affu-
red that not the leaft thing, befides the
Faces of the Sulphur, came into the pots
and that the Sulphur it felf had only been
diifolv'd in Linfeed Oyle -3 this Reguhs
he found heavy and malleable almoft
as Lead -y having caus'd a Goldfmith to
draw him a Wire of it, he found it to
be of the Faireft copper, and fo right-
ly colour'd, that a Jew of Prague offcr'd
litm a great price for it. And of this
Metal he fayes he had 1 2 loth ( or fix
ounces ) out or one pound of Afhes
or Faces* And this Story may well
incline us to fufpeft that fince the O-
f»l Mortuum of the Sulphur was kept
fo long in the fire before it was found
to be any thing elfe then a Terra dam-
vata , there may be divers other Refi-
dences of Bodies which are wont to
pafs only for the Terreftrial Faces of
things, and therefore to be thrown a-
way asfoonas the Diftiliation or Cal-
cination of the Body that yielded them
is ended ; which yet if they were long
and Skilfully examin'd by the fire would
appear to be differing from Elementary
Earth. And I have taken notice of the
(«7->
unwarrantable forwardnefs of common
Chymifts to pronounce things ufelefs
F£cess by obferving how often they re*
jc«5i the Caput Mortmm of Verdegre'afe 3
which is yet fo farr from deferving that
Name , that not only by ftrong fires and
convenient Additaments it may infome
hours be redue'd into copper, but with
a certain Flik Powder I fcmetimes
make for Recreation, I have in two or
three minutes obtain'd that Metal from
ft. To which I may add, that having
for tryall fake kept Venetian Taelk in
no lefs a heat than that of a glafs Fur-
nace, I found after all the Brunt of the
fire it had indur*d, the remaining Body
though brittle and difcolour'd, had not
loft very much of its former Bulke,and
feem'd ftill to be nearer of kin to Talck
than to meet Earth* And I remem-
ber too, that a candid Mineral ift, fa-
mous for his Skill in trying of Oars.,
requeuing me one day to procure him
a certain American Mineral Earth of a
Virttiofo 5 who he thought would not
fefufemes f enquir'd of him why he
feem'd fo greedy of it : he confefs'd to
me that this Gentleman having -brought
that Earth to thepubiick Say-Matters;
and
and they upon their being unable by
any means to bring it tofufion or make
it ny away, he ( the Relator ) had pro-
cur'd a little of it 3 and having try'd it
with a peculiar Flux feparated from it
neer a third part of pure Gold 5 (o
great miftakes may be committed in ha-
stily concluding things to be Ufeleffc
Earth.
Next, it maybe fuppos'd. That as in
the Refolution of Bodies by the Fire
fome of the diffipatcd Parts may3by their
various occurfion occafion'd by the hear,
be brought to ftick together fo clofely as
to conftituteCorpufcles too heavy for the
Fire to carry away 3 the aggregate of
which Corpufcles is wont to be call'd
Afhcs or Earrh 3 So other Agents may
refolve the Concrete into Minute Parts,
after fo differing a manner as not to pro-
duce any Caput mortkum&T dry and heavy j
Body. As you may remember Belmont '
above inform'd us, that with his great l
Diflolventhedivided a Coal into two *
liquid and volatile Bodies, equiponderant s
to the Coal, without any dry or fixt Refi- I
denceatall. ft
And indeed, I fee not why it fhould d
be necefFary that all Agents that refolve a
Bo- i
Bodies into portions of differingly quali*
fi'd matter rauft work on them the
fame way, and divide them into juft fuch
parts,both for nature and Number,as the
Fire diffipates them into. Per fince, as
I noted before, the Bulk and fhape of
the fmall Parts of bodies, together with
their Fitnefs and Unfitnefs to be eafily
put into Motion, may make the liquors
or other fubftances fuch Corpufcles com-
pofe,as much to differ from each other as
do fome of the Chymical principles :
Why may not fomething happen in this
cafe, not unlike what is ufuall in the
grolfer divifions of bodies by Mechani-
cal Inftmments ? Where we fee that
fome Tools reduce Wood, for Inftance,
into darts of fevcral fhapes, bigneffe?and
• other qualities,as Hatchets and Wedges
divide it into groffer parts ; fome more
long and (lender, as fplinters 5 and fome
more thick and irregular, as chips 5 bur
all of considerable bulk 5 but Files and
Saws makes a Comminution of it into
Duft 5 which, as all the others, is of the
more folid fort of parts 5 whereas others
divide it into long and broad, but thin
and flexible parts, as do Planes : And of
this kind of parts it felf there is alfoa
vari-
(4oo)
variety according to the Difference of the
Tools employ'd to work on the Wood 5
the fhavings made by the plane being in
fome things differing from thofe (hives
or thin and flexible pieces of wood that
are obtain d by Borers, and thefe from
fome others obtainable by other Tools*
Some Chymical Examples applicable to
this purrk)fe I have elfewhcre given
you* To which I may add, that where-
as in a-mixturc of Sulphur and Salt of
Tartar well melted and incorporated to*
gether, the action of pure fpirit of wine
digeftedonit is to feparate the fulphu-
reous from the Alcalteate Parts, by dif-
folving the former and leaving the latter3
the action of Wine ( probably upon the
fcore of its copious Phlegme ) upon the
fame mixture is to divide it into Cor-^
pufcles confifting of both Akalizate and
Sulphureous Parts United. And if it be
objected ,tbat this is but a Factitious Con-
crete s I anfwer, that however the in-
fknee may ferve to illuftrate what I
propos'd, if not to prove it 5 and that
Nature her felf doth in the bowels of the
Earth make Decompounded Bodies., as
we fee in Vitriol, Cinnaber , and even
to Sulphur it felf $ I will not urge that
the
(40 1)
the Fire divides new Milk into five difc
fering Subftances ; but Runnet and Acid
Liquors divide it into a Coagulated mat-
ter and a thin Whey : And on the o*
ther fide churning divides it into Butter
and Butter-milk, which may either of
them be yet reduced to other fubftances
differing from the former. I will not
prcrTc this, I (ay, nor other inftances of
this Nature, becaufe I cannot in few
Words anfwer what may be objected »
that thefe Concretes feciucftred without
the help of the Fire may by it be further
divided into Hypoitaticai Principles*
But I will rather repr<. (ent j That where*
as the fame fpirit of Wine will diffoci-
are the Parts of Camphire, and make
them one Liquor with it felf; Aq>m
Fortis will alfo disjoynthem,and put them
into motion ; but (o as to keep them to-
gether, and yet a'ter their Texture into
the form of an Oyfe. I know alfo an
uncom pounded Liquor, that dn extra*
ordinary Chymift would not allow to be
fo much as Saline, which doth(as I have
try'd ) from Coral it felf (as fixe as divers
judicious writers afkrt that Concrete to
be J not only obtain a noble Tincture,
without the Intervention of Nitre or o*
pa
(402)
ther Salts 5 but will carryover the Tin-
cture in Diftillation. And if f orne rca-
fons did not forbid me, 1 could now tell
you of a Menpuum I make my felf, that
doth moreodiy diflbciate the parts of
Minerals very fixr in the fire. So that it
feems not incredible, that there maybe
fome Agent or way of Operation found,
whereby this or drat Concrete,!? not ail
Firme Bodies, may be refolv'd into pans
fo very minute and fo unapt to itick c;ofe
to one another, that none of them may
be fixt enough to flay behind in a ftrong
Fire, and to be incapable of Diftillation -,
norconfequently to be looked upon as
Earth. But to return to Belmont \ the
fame Authour fomewhere fupnly's me
with another Argument aga'inft the
Earth's being fuch an Element as my
Adverfan'es would have it. For he fome-
where affirms, that he can reduce all the
lerreftrial parts of mixt bodies imo i, ifi-
pid wacer 3 whence we may arauc a-
gainft the Earths be-in^ one of their Ele-
ments, even from that Notion of Ele-
ments which you may remember Fhilo*
fonm recited out of AriHotle himfelf,
when he lately difputed for his Chy mifts
&Z*m&ThMifim, And here we may
on
(4^3)
on this occafion confider, that fincc a
Body from which the Fire hath driven a*
way its loofer parts is wont to be looked
upon as Earth, upon the Account of its
being endow'd with both thefe qualities,
TaftleileneCeand Fixtneffe, ( for Salt of
Tartar though Fixt panes not among the
Cbymifts for Earth, becaufe 'tis ftrongly
Taftedj if it be in the power of Natural
Agents to deprive the Caput Mortuum of
a body of either of thofe two Qualities3or
to give them both to a portion of matter
that had them not both beforc3 the Chy-
mifts will not eafily define what part of a
refolv'd Concrete is earth^and makc,!outs
that that Earth is a primary, fimple3and
indeftra$ible Body. Now there are
fome cafes wherein the more skilful of
the Vulgar Chymifts themfelves pre-
tend to be able, by repeated Cohobad-
onsand other fit Operations, to make
the Diftilled parts of a Concrete bring
its own Caput Mortuum over the Helmc,
in the forme of a Liquor ; in which ftate
being both Fluid and Volatile, you will
eafily believe it would not be taken for
Earth. And indeed by a skilful, but
not Vulgar, way of managing fome
Concretes, there may be more effected
Dd a in
(4°4)
m this kind, then you perhaps would
eafily think* And on the other fide ,
that either Earth may be Generated, or
at leaft Bodies that did not before ap-
pear to be neer Totally Earth, may
be (o alter'd as to pafs for it, fecms very
pofTible , if Helmont
Novi mmmodos quibw to- have done that by Art
turn Salftti & in tenant conver- ,- 1 i •
titur, totumque Sulphur femel WillO! tie mentions IH
dijjoiutHm fixetur h Putve- feveral places ; efpeci-
erem terreum. Uelmont in „tV_. ir n ?
Comfl. atque Mift. Elementor. ally Where He iayeS
s^. 24. that he knowes wayes
whereby Sulphur once
diflblv'd is all of it fix'd into a Ter-
reftrial Powder, and the whole Bodie
of Salt-Petre may be turned into Earth ;
Which Jaft he elfewhere fayesis Done
by the Odour only of a certain Sulphu-
reous JFire. And in another place He
mentions one way of doing this, which
I cannot give you an Account of y be- '
caufe the Materials I had prepar'd for !
Trying it, were by a Servants miftake »
unhappily thrown away. !
And thefe Laft Arguments may be I
conflrm'd by the Experiment I have of- *
ten had occafion to mention concerning *
she Mint I produe'd out of Water. !l
And partly by an Obfervation of Eoth \
delet'm l
(4°s)
detem concerning the Growth of Ani-
mals alfo, Nourifh'd but by Water*
which I remember'd not to mention,
when I difcours'd to you about the Pro-
duction of things out of Water. This
Diligent Writer then in his inftructivc Ub' u
book of fillies, affirmes That his Wife eap' 2*
kept a fifh in sl Glafs of water without
any other Food for. three years; in which
fpace itwasconftantly augmented, till
, at laft it could not come out of the
, Place at which it was put in, and at
' length was too big for the glafs it felf
though that were of a large capacity. And
becaufe there is no juft reafon to doubt,
[ that this Fifh, i^ Diftill'd, would have
yielded the like differing fubftances
, with other Animals: And However, be-
J caufe the Mint which I had cut of wa-
ter afforded me upon Diftillation a
, good quantity of Charcoal, I think I
! may from thence inferr,that Earth it felf
may be produe'd out of Water; or if you
I plcafe, |hat water may be tranfmute^d
I into Earth; and confequently , that 4.
1 though it could be prov'd that Earth k
an Ingredient actually in- exiften tin the
Vegetable and Animal Bodies whence
it may be obtain'd by Fire ; yet it would
Ddj not
(4©*)
not fleeeffarily follow, that Earth as a,
pre-cxiftent Element Does with other
principles convene to make up thofe Bo-
dies whence it feemt to have been fe-
parated.
After all is faid ( fayes Elmtherm)
I have yet fomething to Object, that I
cannot but think confiderable, fince
Carneades Himfelf alledg'd it as fuch; for,
(continues Ekutherm foiling) I muft
make bold to try whether you can as
luckily anfwer your own Arguments, as
thofe of your Antagonifts, I mean (pur-
sues he ) that part of your Concc ffions,
wherein you cannot but rcraemk r that
you fupply'd your Adverfanes with an
Example to prove that there may be E-
Jementary Bodies, by taking Notice that
Gold may be an Ingredient in a multi-
tude of differing Mixtures, and yet re^
tain its Nature, notwithftanding all that
the Chymifts by their Fires and Corro-
five Waters are able to do to Deftroy
it.
I fufficiently intimated to you at that
time ( replies Qameades ) that I propos'd
this Example, chiefly to {hew you how
Nature may be Conceived to have
made Elements, n9t to prove that fhe
aaually
a&uallyhas made any 5 And you know,
that a poffe ad tjje the Inference will
not hold. But ( continues Carneades )
to anfwer more directly to the Objecti-
on drawn from Gold, Imuft tell You,
that though I know very well that di-
vers of the more fober Chymifts have
complain 'd of the Vulgar Chymifts, as
of Mountebanks or Cheats, for pretend-
ing fo vainly, as hitherto they have done,
to Deftroy Gold 5 Yet I know a cer-
tain Mentfruum ( which our Friend has
made , and intends fhortly to commu-
nicate to the Ingenious ) of fo piercing
and powerfulla Quality, That if not-
withstanding much care, and fomc skill,
I did not much deceive my felf, I have
with it really deilroy'd even refin'd Gold,
and brought it into a Metalline Body of
another colour and Nature, as I found
by Tryals purpofely made. And if
fome juft Confederations did not for the
prefent Forbid ir, I could Perchance
here Chew you by another Experiment
or Two of my own Trying, that fuch
Men$mums may be made as to entice a-
way and retain divers parts, from Bo-
dies, which even the more Judicious
and Experienc'd Spagyrifts have pro-
Dd4 * nounc'd
nounc'd irrefolublc by the Fire. Though
( which I Defire you would mark ) in
neither of thefe Initances, the Gold or
Precious Stones be Anaiys'd into any of
the Tria Trim^ but only Reduc'd to
new Concretes, And indeed there is
a greac Difparity betwixt the Operati-
ons of thefeveral Agents whereby the
Parts of a Body come to be Diliipated.
As if ( for Inftance ) you diffolve the pu-
rer fort of Vitriol in common Water,
the Liquor will fwallow up the Mineral,
and fo DirTociate its Corpufcles, that
they will fcem to make up but one Li-
quor with thofe of the water ; and yet
each of thefe Corpufcles retains its Na-
ture and Texture* and remains a Vitri-
olate and Compounded Body. But if
the fame Vitriol beexpofed to a ftrong
Fire, it will then be div-ded not only, as
b^fore,into fmaller parts, but into Hete-
rogeneous Subftances , each of the Vi-
tnolate Corpufcles that remain'd en-
tire in the water, being it felf upon the
Deftrudion of its former Texture diffi-
patedor divided into new Particles of
differing Qualities. But Inftances more
fitly applicable to this purpofe, I have
already given you. Wherefore to re-
turn
turn to what I told you about the De-
ftruftion of Gold, that Experiment
Invites me to Reprefent to you., that
Though there weie either Saline, or
Sulphureous, or Terreftrial Portions of
Matter, whofe parts were fo fmall, fo
firmly united together, or of a figure fo
fit to make them cohere to one another,
(as wc fee ih.u in quickfilver broken into
little Globes, the Parts brought to touch
oneanother do immediately re- imbody)
that neither the Fire, nor the ufual A-
gt nts employed by Chymifts, are pierce-
• ing enough to divide their Parts, fo
as to deftroy the Texture of the fingle
Cor udesjyetit would not neceffarily
follow, That fuch Permanent Bodies
were Elementary, flnce tis pofilble there
may be Agents found in Nature, fome
of whofe parts may be of fuch a Size
and Figure as to take better Hold of
fome parts of thefe fecmingly Elemen-
tary Corpufcles than thefe parts do of
the reft, and Confequently may carry
away fuch parts with them, andfpdif-
folve the Texture of the Corpufcle by
pulling its parts afunder. And if it be
faid, that at leaft we may this way dis-
cover the Elementary Ingredients of
things
(4*o)
Things, by obferving into what Subftan-
ees thefe Corpufcles that were reputed
pure are divided 5 1 anfwer, that it is not
jiecelTary that fuch a Difcovery fhould
bepra&icable. For if the Particles of
the DirTolventdotakc fuch firme hold
of thofe of the Diflolved Body3 they
muft conftitute together new Bodies , as
well as Deftroy the Old 5 and- the ftrickt
Union, which according to this Hypo-
thefis may well be fuppos'd betwixt the
Parts of the Emergent Body, will
make it as Little to be Expe&ed that
they fhould be pull'd afunder, but by
little Parts of matter, that to Divide
them Affociate Tbemfelvcs and flick
extreamly dofe to thofe of them which
they fever from their Former Adhe-
rents. Befides that it is not impo&ble,
that a Corpufcle fuppos'd to be Elemen-
tary may have its Nature changed, with-
out furfering a Divorce of its parts, bare-
ly by a new Texture Effc&ed by fomc
powerfull Agent; as I formerly told you,
the fame portion of matter may eafily
by the Operation of the Fire be turn'd
at pleafure into the form of a Brittle
and Tranfparent, or an Opacous and
Malleable Body.
And
(4")
And indeed., if you confider how fart
the bare Change of Texture, whether
made by Art or Nature ( or rather by
Nature with or without the affiftahee of
man ) can go in producing fuch New
Qualities in the fame parcel of matter >
and how many inanimate Bodies ( fuch
as are all the Ghymical productions of
che Fire ) we know are Denominated
and DiftinguitVd not fo much by any I-
maginary Subftantial Form, as by the
aggregate of thefe Qualities. If you con-
fider thefe Things, I fay, and that the
varying of either the figure, or the Size,
or the Motion, or the Situation , or Conr
nexion of the Corpufcles whereof any
of thefe Bodies is composed, may alter
the Fabrick of it, you will poffibly be
invited to {ufpe&, with me, that there
is no great need that Nature {hould al-
wayes have Elements before hand,
whereof to make fuch Bodies as we call
mncts. And that it is not fo eafie as
Chymifls and others have hitherto Ima-
gind, todifcern,among the many differ-
in* Subftances that may without any
extraordinary skill be obtamdfrom the
fame portion of matter , Which ought
to be efteemed exclufwely to all the reft,
* its
(4U)
*ts in-extftent Elementary Ingredients 5
much lefle to determine what Primoge-
neal and Simple Bodies convened toge-
ther to compofe ir. To exemplify this,
I {hall add to what I have already on fe-
veral occafions Reprefented, but this Tin-
gle iaftance.
You may remember {Elemberm') that
I formerly intimated to you, that befides
Mint and Pompions,I produced divers
other Vegetables of very differing Na-
tures out of Water. Wherefore you
will not, I prefume, think it incongru-
ous to fuppofe,that when a (lender Vine-
flip is fet into the ground,and takes roof,
there it may likewife receive its Nutri-
ment from the water attracted out of
the earth by his roots, or impell'd by the
warm'th of the fun,or preffure of the am-
bient air into the pores of them. And
this you will the more eafily believe, if
you ever obferv'd what a ftrange quan-
tity of Water will Drop out of a wound
given to the Vine, in a convenient place,
at a feafonable time in the Spring 5 and
how little of Taft or Smell this Aqua Vi-
f^asPbyfitians call ir, isendow'd with,
notwithstanding what concoction or al-
teration it may receive in its pafTage
through
(4*3>
through the Vine, to difcriminate it from
common Water. Suppollng then this
Liquor, at its firft entrance into the roots
of the Vine, to be common Waters
Lee Us a little confider how many vari-
ous Subftances may be obtain 'd from it;
though to do fo,I mull: repeat fomewbat
that I had a former occafipn to touch up-
on. And firft, this Liquor bein£ Di-
gefted in theplant,and affimilatedby the
fevcral parts of it, is turn'd into the
Wood, Bark, Pith , Leaves, &c. of
the Vine , The fame Liquor may be fur-
ther dry'd, and fafhon'd into Vine-buds,
and thefe awhile after are advanced
unto four Grapes, which expreifd yield
Verjuice, a Liquor very differing in fe-
veral qualities both from Wine and o-
ther Liquors obtainable from the Vine :
Thefe foure Grapes being by the heat of
the Sun conceded and ripened, turne
to well ta.fted Grapes , Thtfe if dry'd
in the Sun and Diftill'd, afford a fetid
Oyle and a piercing EmpyreummcAl Spi-
rit , but not a Vinous Spirit 5 Thefe
dry'd Grapes or Raifinsboyl'd in a con-
venient proportion of Water make a
fweet Liquor, which being betimes di-
ftill d afford an Oyle and Spirit much like
thofe
thofeof the Raifins themfelvess If the
juice of the Grapes be fquecz'd out and
put to Ferment, it firft becomes afweet
and turbid Liquor , then grows lefle
fweet and more clear, and then affords
in common Diftillations not an Oylebut
a Spirit., which, though inflamable like
Oyle, differs much from it, in that it is
not fat, and that it will readily mingle
with Water. I have likewife without
Addition obtained in proceffe of time
( and by an eafie way which I am ready
to teach you ) from one of the nobleft
forts of Wine, pretty ifore of pure and
curiouily figured Cry ftals of Salt, toge-
ther with a great proportion of a Liquor
as fweet almoft as Hony ; and thefe I
obtained not from Mult , but True and
fprightly Wine 5 befides the Vinous
Liquor, the fermented Juice of Grapes is
partly turned into liquid Dregs or Leeze,
and partly into that craft or dry feculan-
cy that is commonly called Tartar 5 and
this Tartar may by f he Fire be eafily di-
vided into five differing fubftances $ four
of which are not Acid, and the other
not {o manifeftly Acid as the Tartar it
felf s The fame Vinous Juice after fome
time5 efpecially if it be not carefully
kepe
(4M)
kept,Degeneratt s into that very four Li-
quor called Vincgarsfrom which you may
obtain by the Fire a Spirit and a Cryftal-
line Salt difrering enough ircra the Spirit
and Lixiviate Sal t of Tartar. And if you
pour the Dephlegm'd Spirit of the Vine-
gar upon the Salt of Tartar , there
will be produe'd fuch a Cor. flia or Ebul-
lition as ii there were fcarce two more
contrary Bodies in Natures and often-
times in this Vinagcr you may obferve
part of the matter to be turned into art
innumerable company of fwimming Ani-
mals, which our friend having divers
years ago obferved, hath in one of his
Papers taught us how to difcover clearly
without the help of a Micro fcope.
Into all thefe various Schemes of mat-
ter, or differingly Qialifyea Bodies,
beftdes divers others that I purpofely
forbear to mention, may the Water
that is imbib'd by the roots of the Vine
be brought9partly by the formative power
of the plant, and partly by fupervenient
Agents or Caufes, without the vifible,
concurrence of any extraneous Ingredi-
ent ; but if we be allowed to add to the
Productions of this tranfmuted Water
a few other fubftances^ we may much
en-
(4*6)
encreafe the Variety of fuch Bodies jal*
though in this fecond fort of Produ&i*
ons, the Vinous parts feem fcaree to re-
tain any thing of the much more fix'd
Bodies wherewith they were mingl'd,
but only to have by their Mixture with
them acquir'dfuch a Difpofition * that
in their rccefs occafion'd by the Fire
they came to be alter'd as to fhapc > or
Bignefs, or both, and affociated after a
New manner. Thus, as I formerly told
you, I did by the Addition of a Caput
Mortmm of Antimonv, and fome o-
ther Bodies unfit for Diftillation, ob-
tain from crude Tartar, ftore of a very
Volatile and Cryftailine Salt, differing
very much in fmell and other Qualities
from the ufuall falts of Tartar.
^ But ( fayes Eleutkerw, interrupting
him at thefe Words ) if you have no re-
flraintupon you, I would very gladly
before you go any further, be more par-
ticularly informed, how you make this
Volatile Salt,becaufe ( you know ) that
fuch Multitudes of Chymitts have by a
fcaree imaginable Variety of waves, at-
tempted in Vain the Volatilization of
the Salt of Tartar, that divers learned
sf^ri^s(fc9k as if it were impoffible,
(417)
to make any thing out of Tartar, that
(hall be Volatile in a Saline Forme, or
as fomeof them exprefs it, in forma fic-
ca. I am very farr from thinking ( an-
fwers Cameades ) that the Salt I have
mcntion'd is that which Paracelfm
and Helmont mean when they fpeakof
Sd Tartari Volatile, and afcribe fuch
great things to it. For the Salt I fpeak
of falls extreamly fhort of thofe Vir-
tues, not feeming initsTaft, Smel,and
other Obvious Qualities, to differ very
much ( though fomething it do differ )
from Salt of Harts-horn, and other Vo-
latile Salts drawn from the Diftill'd
Parts of Animals. Nor have I yet
made Tryals enough to be fure,that ic
is a pure Salt of Tartar without parti-
cipating any thing at all of the Nitre ,
or Antimony. But becaufe it feerns
more likely to proceed from the Tar-
tar, than from any of the other In-
gredients, and becaufe the Experiment
is in k felf not Ignoble, and Luciferous
enough ( as fhewing a new way to pro-
duce a Volatile Salt contrary to Acid
Salts from Bodies that otherwife are
Obferv'd to yield no fuch Liquor, but
either only, or chiefly, Acid ones, ) I
Ee toll,
Aiall, tofatisfie you, acquaint you be-
fore any of my other Friends with the
way I new ufe ( for I have formerly us'd
fome others ) to make it.
Take then of good Antimony, Salt-
Petre and Tartar, of each an' equal
weight , and of Quicklime Halfe the
Weight of any one of them; let thefe be
powder'd and well mingl'd; this done,
you muft have in readinefs a long neck or
Retort of Earth, which muft be plac'd
m a Furnace for a naked Fire, and have
at the top of it a hole of a convenient
Bignefs, at which you may caft in the
Mixture, and prefently ftop it up again g
this Veflcl being fitted with a large Re-
ceiver muft have Fire made under it,
till the bottom of the fides be red hot,
and then you muft caft in the above pre-
pared Mixture, by about halfe a fpoon-
full f more or lefs ) at a time, at the hole
made for that purpofe 5 which being
nimbly ftopt,the Fumes will pafs into
the Receiver andcondenfc there into a
Liquor, that being recWd will be of a
pure golden Colour, and carry up that
coloar to a great height , this Spirit a-
isounds in the Salt I told you of, partof
which may ca% enough be feparated
by
(4 1*)
by tbc way I ufe w fuch cafes, which
is, to put the Liquor into a glafs Egg,
or bolthead with a long and narrow
Neck. For if this be plac d a little m+
dining in hot fand, there will fublime
up a fine Salt, which, as I told you, I
find to be much of kin to the Volatile
Salts of Animals: For like them it has
aSaltifh, not an Acid Salt jit hitTcs up-
on the Arfufion of Spirit of Nitre, or
Oyle of Vitriol 5 it precipitates Corals
Diffolv'din Spirit of Vinagersit turnes
the blew Syrup of Violets immediately
green , it prefently turnes the Solution
of Sublimate into a Miikie whitenefs;
and in fumm, has divers Operations like
thofe that I have obferv'd in that fort
of Salts to which I have refembled it :
and is fo Volatile, that for Diftin&ion
fake, I call it Tart art Ftigmvus.
What virtues it may have in Phyfickl
have not yet had the opportunity to Trys
but I am apt to think they will not be de-
fpicable. And befides that a very Inge-
nious Friend of mine tells me he hath
done great matters againft the ftone,
with" a Preparation not very much Dif-
fering from ours, a very Experienced
Germane Chymift finding that I was
'Eea m~
(420)
unacquainted with the wayes, of making
this (alt, told me that in a great City in
his Country, a noted Chymift prizes it
fo highly, that he had a while fmce pro-
cur'd a Friviledge from the Magiftrates,
that none but He, or by his Licence,
fhould vent a Spirit made alrnoft after
the fame Way with mine, favethat he
leaves out one of the Ingredients, name-
ly the Quick-lime. Bat, continues Car-
neadeSj to refume my Former Difcourfe
where your Curiofity interrupted it s
Tis alfo a common practice in Frame
to bury thin Plates of Copper in the
Marc (as the French call it) or Husks
of Grapes, whence the Juice has been
fquecz'd out in the Wine-prefs, and by
this means the more faline parts of
thofe Husks working by little and little
upon the Copper , Coagulate
Themfelves with it into that Blewilh
Green Subftance we in Englifh call
Verdigreafe. Of which I therefore take
Notice, becaufe having Diftill'd it in a
Naked Fire, I found as I cxpefted, that
by the Aflfociation of the Saline with
the Metalline parts, the former were fo
alter'd, that the Diftill'd Liquor., even
without Re&ification, feem'd by fmell
and
(42i)
and Taft 3 ftrong almoft like Aqu& Ter-
ns, and very much furpaffed the pureft
and moil Re&ifi'd Spirit of Vinager that
ever I made. And this Spirit I there-
fore afcribeto the fait of the Husks al-
tered by their Co- Mixture with the cop-
per ( though the Fire afterwards Di-
vorce and Tranfmute them ) becaufe I
found this later in the bottom of the
Retort in the Forme of a Crocus or red-
iih powder : And becaufe Copper is
of too fluggifh a Nature to be forcd
over in cloic Veffels by no ftronger a
heat. And that which is alfo fome-
what Remarkable in the Defoliation of
good Verdigreafe, ( or at leaft of that
fort that I us'd ) is this., that I Neve?
could obferve that it yielded me any oyl,
(unlefsa little black dime which was
Separated in Rectification may pafs for
Oyle) though both Tartar and Vinager,
( especially the former) will by Defol-
iation yield a Moderate proportion of
it. If likewife you pour Spirit of Vina-
ger "upon Calcin'd Lead, the Acid Salt
of the Liquor will by its Commixture
with the Metalline parts , though Infi-
pidj acquire in a few hours a more than
Saccharine fweetnefs 5 and thefe Saline
Ee$ parts
(4")
parts being by a ftrong Fire DeftuTd
from the Lead wherewith they were
imbody'd, will,as I formerly alfo noted
to a Different purpofe, leave the Me-
tal behind them alter'd in fome quali-
ties from what it was, and will them-
felves afcend, partly in the Forme of an
un&uous Body or Oyle, partly in that
of Phlcgmc j but for the greateft part
in the Forme of a fubtile Spirit, in-
dow'd, betides divers new Qualities
which I am not now willing to take no-
tice of, with a ftrong fmell very much
other than that of Vinager, and a pier^
cing taft quite differing both from the
Sowernefs of the Spirit of Vinager, and
the Sweetnefs of the Sugar o{ Lead,
To be fhort, As the difference of Bo-
dies may depend meerly upon that of
the fchemes whereinto their Common
matter is put 5 So the feeds of Things,
the Fire and the other Agents are able
to alter the minute parts of a Body (ei-
ther by breaking them into fmaller ones
of differing fhapes, or by Uniting to-
t ether thefe Fragments with the un-
roken Corpufcles, or fuch Corpufcles a-
mong Themfelves ) and the fame A-
gents partly by Altering the fhape or
big-
(423)
bigncfs of the Conftituent Corpufcles of
a Body, partly by driving away fome of
them, partly by blending others with
them,and partly by fome new manner of
conne&ing them,may give the whole por-
tion of matter a new Texture of its mi-
nute parts 9 and thereby make it de-
ferve a new and DiftincT: name. So that
according as the fmali parts of matter
recede from each other, or work upon
each other, or are connected togetherjaf-
ter this or that determinate manner, a
Body of this or that denomination is
produced, as fome other Body happens
thereby to be alter'd or deftroy'd.
Since then thofe things which Chy-
mifts produce by the help of the Fire are
but inanimate Bodies; fince fuch fruits of
the Chymifts skill differ from one ano-
ther but info few qualities that we fee
plainly that by fire and other Agents
we can employ, we can eafily enough
work as great alterations upon matter,
as thofe that are requifite to change one
of thefe Chymical Produ&ions into a-
nother $ Since the fame portion of mat-
ter may without being Compounded
with any extraneous Body, or at leaft
Element, be made to put on fuch a va-
Ee4 wety
riety of formes, and confequemly to be
( fucceffively ) turn'd into fo many dif-
fering Bodies. And fince the matter
cloath'd with (o many differing formes
was originally but water, and that in its
palTage thorow fo many transformations,
it was never reduced into any of thofe
fiibftances which are reputed to be the
Principles or Elements of mixt Bodies,
except by the violence of the fire, which
it felf divides not Bodies into perfectly
fjmple or Elementary fubftances, but in-
to new Compounds ; Since, I fay, thefe
things are fo, I fee not why we muft
needs believe that there are any Primo-
geneal and fimple Bodies, of which as of
Pre-exfiftent Elements Nature is obli-
ged to compound all others. Nor do I
fee why we may not conceive that fhe
may produce the Bodies accounted mixt
out of one another by Variously altering
and contriving their minute parts, with-
out refolving the matter into any fuch
fimple or Homogeneous fubftances as are
pretended Neither, to difpatch, do J
fee why it lliould be counted abfur'd to
think, tha^ when a Body is refolv'd by
the Fire int\ its fuppos'd fimple Ingre-
dients, thofe fybftances are not true and
pro-
(4*5)
proper Elements, but rather were, as
it were. Accidentally produc'd by the
fire, which by Diflipating a Body in-
to minute Parts does, if thofe parts be
fhut up in Clofe Veffels, for the raoft
part neceilarily bring them to Aflbciate
Themfelves after another manner than
before, and fo bring Them into Bo-
dies of fuch Different Confiftences as
the Former Texture of the Body, and
Concurrent Circumftances make fuch
disbanded particles apt to Conftitute;
as experience {hews us ( and I have both
noted it , and prov'd it already ) that
as there are fome Concretes whofe
parts when diifipated by fire are fitted
to be put into fuch Schemes of mat-
ter as we call Oyle, and Salt, and Spi-
rit 5 So there are others, fuch as are ef-
pecially the greateft part of Minerals,
whofe Corpufcles being of another
Size or figure, or perhaps contriv'd a-
nother Way, will not in the Fire yield
Bodies of the like Confiftences, but ra-
ther others of differing Textures ; Not
to mention,that from Gold and fome o-
ther Bodies , we fee not that the Fire
Separates any Diftincl: Subftances at all 5
nor That even thofe Similar Parts of
Bo-
Bodies which the Chymifts Obtain by
the Fire, are the Elements whofe names
they bear, but Compound Bodies, upon
whichjfor their refemblance to them in
confidence, or fome other obvious Qua-
lity, Chymifts have been pleasd to be-
flow filch Appellations.
The
(473)
THE CONCLUSION.
THefe laft Words otCArneades be-
ing foon after follow'd by a noife
which feem'd to come from the place
where the reft of the Company was, he
took it for a warning, that it was time
for him to conclude or break off his Di-
fcourfe | and told his Friend j By this
time I hope yeu fee, Eleutherius, that -if
Helmonts Experiments be true, it is no
abfurdity to queftion whether that Do-
ctrine be one, that doth not affert Any
Elements in the fence before explain'd.
But becaufe that, as divers of my Ar-
guments fuppofe the marvellous power
of the AlkaheB in the Analyzing of
Bodies, fo the Effe&s afcrib'd to that
power are fo unparallell'd and flupen-
* dious,
(41&)
dious, that though I am not fure but
that there may he fuch an Agent, yet
little lefs than ***$* feems requifite to
make a man fure there is. And confe-
quently I leave it to you to judge, how
farre thofe of my Arguments that are
built upon Mkabeftical Operations are
vveakned by that Liquors being Match*
lefs ; and fhall therefore defire you not
to think that I propofe this Paradox
that rejects all Elements, as an Opinion
equally probable with the former 4'partof
mydifcourfe. For by that, I hope, you
are fatisfied, that the Arguments wont
to be brought by Chyrniits , to prove
That all Bodies confift of either Three
Principles, or Five, are far from being
fo ftrong as thofe that I have employ'd
to prove, that there is not any certain
and Determinate number of fuch Princi-
ples or Elements to be met with Uni-
verfally in all mixt Bodies, Andlfup-
pofe I need not tell you, that thefe An-
ti-Chymical Paradoxes might have been
manag'd more to their Advantage; but
that having not confln'd my Curiofity to
Chymical Experiments, I who am but
3 young Man, and younger Chymift ,
can yet be but flenderly turnifhed with
them
them, in reference to fo great and diffi-
cult a Task as you impos'd upon me ;
Befides that, to tell you the Truth, I
durft not employ fome even of the be ft
Experiments I am acquainted with, be-
caufe I muft not yet difclofe them 5 but
however* I think I may prefume that
what I have hitherto Diicourfed will
induce you to think, that Chymifts have
been much more happy in finding Ex-
periments than the Caufes of them ; or
in aligning the Principles by which they
may beft oe explained. And indeed,
when in the writings of Paracelfus I
meet with fuchPhantaftickand Un-intel-
ligible Difcourfes as that Writer often
puzzels and tyres his Reader with, fa-
ther'd upon fuch excellent Experiments,
as though he feldom clearly teaches, I
often find he knew j me thinks the
Chymifts, in their fearches after truth,
are not unlike the Navigators ofr Solo-
mons Tarfhifh Fleet, who brought home
from their long and tedious Voyages,
not only Gold, and Silver, and Ivory,
but Apes and Peacocks too 3 For fo the
Writings of feveral ( for I fay not, all )
of your Hermetick Philofophers prefent
us, together with divers Subftantial and
noble
(43o)
noble Experiments, Theories, which et*
ther like Peacocks feathers make a
great fhew, but are neither folid nor
ufcful 5 or elfe like Apes, if they haye
fome appearance of being rational, are
blemifti'd with fome abfurdity or other,
that when they are Attentively confi-
dcr'd, makes them appear Ridicu-
lous.
Cameades having thus finifh'd his Di-
fcourfe againft the received Doctrines of
the Elements , Eleutherius judging he
fhould not have time to fay much to him
before their fcparation, made fome hafte
to tell him ; I confefs, Carneades >that you
have faid more in favour of your Para-
doxes then I expected. For though di-
vers of the Experiments you havementi-
onMareno fecrets, and were not un-
known to me, yet befides that you have
added many of your own unto them, you
have laid them together in fuch a way3
and apply'd them to fuch purpofes,
and made fuch Deductions From
them, as I have not Hitherto met
with.
But though I be therefore inclined to
think, that Pbiloponw, had he'heard you,
would fcarce have been able in all
points
(431)
points to defend the Cbymical Bjp£
thefis againil the arguments wherewith
you have opposed it-, yet me thinks
that however your Objedions fecm to
evince a great part of what they pretend
to, yet they evince it not all ; and the nu-
merous tryals of thofe you call the vulgar
Chymifts3may be allow'd to prove fome-
thing too.
Wherefore^, if it be granted you that
you have made it probable,
Firft, that the differing fubftances in-
to which mixt Bodies are wont to be re-
folved by the Fire are not of a pure
and an Elementary nature, efpecially for
this Reafon, that they yet retain fo
much of the nature of the Concrete that
afforded them, as to appear to be yet
fomeWhar compounded , and often-'
times to differ in one Concrete from
Principles of the fame denomination in
another:
Next, that as to the number of thefe
differing fubftances, neither is it precife-
ly three , becaufe in molt Vegetable
and Animal bodies Earth and Phlegme
are alfo to be found among their .Ingre-
dients ; nor is there any one determinate
number into which the Fire ( as it is
wont
wont to be eraploy'd ) does precifely
and univerfally refolve all compound
Bodies vvhatfoever , as well Minerals
as others that are reputed perfectly
mixt.
Laftly , that there are divers Qualities
whichcannotwellbe refer'd to any of
thefe Subftances, as if they primarily re-
fided in it and belong'd to it,and fome o-
ther qualities,which though they feern to
have their chief and moil ordinary re-
fidence in fome one of thefe Principles
or Elements of mixt Bodies, are not yet
fo deducible from it, but that alfo fome
more general Principles mud be taken
in to explicate them.
If, I fay, the Chymifts (continues Eleit-
therius ) be fo Liberall as to make you
thefe three Conceflions, I hope you will*
on your part, be fo civil and Equitable
as to grant them thefe three other pro-
poiitions,namely 5
Firft, that divers Mineral Bodies,
and therefore probably all the reft, may
be refolv'd into a Saline, a Sulphureous,
and a Mercurial part * And that almoft
all Vegetable and Animal Concretes
may, if not by the Fire alone, yet, by
a skiifull Artift Employing the Fire as
his
(433)
bis chief Inftrument, be divided into five
differing Subftances, Salt, Spirit, Oyle,
Phlegme and Earth * of which the three
former by reafonof their being fo much
more Operative than the Two Later,
deferve to be Lookt upon as the Three
a&ive Principles, and by way of Emi-
nence to be calFd the three principles of
mixt bodies.
Nexc, that thefe Principles, Though
they be not perfectly Devoid of all
Mixture , yet may without inconveni-
ence be ftil'd the Elements of Com-
pounded bodies, and bear the Names of
thofe Subftances which they moft Re-
ferable, and which are manifeftly pre-
dominant in them 5 and that especially
for this reafon, that none of thefe E-
lements is Divifible by the Fire into
Four or Five differing fubftances,! ike the
Concrete whence it was feparatcd.
Laftly, That Divers of the Qualities
of a mixt Body, and efpecially the Me-
dical Virtues, do for the moft part lodge
in fome One or Other of its principles,
and may Therefore ufefully be fought
for in that Principle fever'd from the
others.
And in this alfo ( purfues Ekutherivt )
F f me-
(434)
mcthinks both you and the Chymifts
may eafily agree, that the furcft way is
to Learn by particular Experiments,-
what 'differing parts particular Bodies
doconfift of, and by what wayes ( ei-
ther A&ual or potential fire ) they may
belt and moft Conveniently be Separa-
ted, as without relying too much upon
the Fire alone, for the refolving of Bo-
dies, fo without fruitlessly contending
to force them into more Elements than
Nature made Them up of, or ftrip the
fever'd Principles Co naked , as by ma*
king Them Exquifitely Elementary to
make them almoftufelefs,
Thefe things (mbjoynes£k#.) I pro*
pofe, without defpairing to fee them
granted by you ; not onlybecaufe I know
that you fo much preferr the Reputation
of Candor before that of fubtility, that
your having once fuppos'd a truth would
not hinder you from unbracing it when •
dearly made out to you 5 but becaufepp-
on the prefent occafion, it will be no di-
sparagement to you to recede from fomc
of your Paradoxes, fince the nature and
occafion of your pad Difcourfe did not
oblige you to declare your own opinions,
but only to perfonate za Amagonift of
the
(435)
the Chymifts.So that (concludes heswith
a fmile) you may now by granting what
I propofe, add the Reputation of Loving
the truth flncerely to that of having been
able to oppofe it fubtilly.
Carne&des\ hafte forbidding him to an-
fwer this crafty piece of flattery 5 Till I
fhal(fayes he) have an opportunity to ac-
quaint you with my own Opinions about
the controverfies I have been difcouriing
of, you will nor, I hope, expect I fhould
declare my own fence of the Arguments I
have employ'd. Wherefore I (hall only
tell you thus much at prefent 5 that
though not only an acute Naturalift,but
even I my felf could take plauiible
Exceptions at (ome of them 5 yet di-
vers of *hern t£o are fuch as will not:
perhaps be readily anfwer'd, and .will
Reduce my Adverfaries , ac leaft,to al-
ter and Reform their Hypetbefis. I
perceive I need not minde you that the
Objections I made againft the Qua-
ternary of Elements and Ternary of
Principles needed not to be opposed
fo much againft the Doctrines Them-
felvcs (either of which, efpecially the
latter, may be much more probably
maintain d than hitherto it feems to
have
have been, by thofe Writers for it I
have met with ) as againft the unac-
curatenefs and the unconcludingneis
of the Analytical Experiments vul-
garly Relyed On to Demonftratc
them.
And therefore, if either of the two
exarnind Opinions, or any other The-
ory of Elements, {hall, upon rational
and Experimental grounds be clearly
made out to me i 'Tis Obliging, but
not irrational, in you to Expect, that I
ihall not be fo farr in Love with my
Difquieting Doubts , as not to be con-
ten t to change them for undoubted
truths. And (concludes Cameades fmiling)
it, were no great difparagement for a
Scjpptick to confeffe to you, that as un-
faiisfy'das the paft difcourfe may have
iiiade you think me with the Doctrines
of the Peripateticks, and the Chymifts,
about the Elements and Principles, I can
yet fo little difcover what to acquiefce in,
that perchance the Enquiries of others
have fcarce been more uniatisfa&ory to
me, than my own have been to my felf.
FINIS,
(437)
THe Authors conftant Abfcnce
from the PretTe, whilft the for-
mer Treatife was Printing, and the Na-
ture of the Subject ic felf, wherewith
ordinary Compofers are not wont to be
at all acquamtcd,will, 'tis hop'd, procure
the Readers Excufe j till the next Editi-
on, if the Errata be fomewhat nume-
rous, and if among them there want not
fome grolfer miftakcs, which yet are not
the only Blemiihesthefe lines muft take
notice of and ackoowledg ; For the Au-
thor now perceives that through the
fault ofthofe to whom he had commit-
ted the former Treatife in loofe Sheets,
fome Papers that belonged to ir, have
altogethermifcarryed. And though ic
have luckily enough happen'd, for the
moft part, that the Omiflion of them
does not marr the Coherence of the rettj
yet till the next defign'd Edition afford an
opportunity of infer ting them,it is thought
fit that the Printer give notice of one
Omiffion at the End of the firftDialoguc;
^nd that td thefe Err at a there be annex'd
the enfuing fhcet of Paper, that was car
fually loft, or forgotten by him that
{kould have put^it into the Preflc i
^' ^f wipe
42S >
where it ought to have been infested, in
the 1 87. printed Page, at the break, ber
twixt the words, [Nature] in the 13th,
line, and [But] in the next line after,
though it is to be noted here, that by the
miftake of the Printer, in fomc Books,
the number of 1 87 is placed at the top
oftwofomewhat diftant pages sand in
fuch copies the following addition ought
to be inferred in the latter of the two, as
followeth.
Aqdon this occasion I cannot but take
notice, that whereas the great Argu-
ment which the Chymifts are wont to
employ to vilify Earth and Water, and
make them be lookd upon as ufekts and
unworthy to be reckon'd among the
Principles of Mixt Bodies, i?j that they
are not endow'd with Specifick Proper-
ties,, but only with Elementary qualities;
of which they nfe to fpeak very
fleightingly,as of qualities contemptible
and unaaive .• I fee no fuflkient Reafon
for this Practice 0f tne Chymiits : For
'tis confefs'd that Heat is an Elementary
Quality, and yet that an almoft innume-
rable company of confiderable Things
are perform^ by Hea,ta is manifeft to
them
)
them chat duly confider the various Pk$$
women* wherein it intervenes as a princi-
pal) A£tor 5 and none ought lefs to ig-
nore or diftruft this Trurh then a Chy-
mift. Since almoft all the operations
and Productions of his Art are perform-
ed chiefly by the means of Heat; And
as for Gold it ielf, updnwhofe account
they fo ddpik the Earth and Water, if
they pleafe to read in the Voyages of
our Engliih and Dutch Navigators in
Nova lembla and other Northern Regi-
ons what itupendious Things may be ef-
fected by Cold, they would not perhaps
think it fo defpicable. And not to re-
peat what I latiP/ recited to You out of
ParacelftM himfelf, who by the help of
an interifeCold teaches to feparate the
Quinteflence of Wine 3, I will only now
obferve to You, that the Conservation
of the Texture of many Bodies both ani-
mate and inanimate do's fo much de-
pend Upon the convenient motion both
of their own Fluid and Loofer Parts, and
of the ambient Bodies, whether Air,
Water, &o. that not only in humare
Bodies we fee that the immoderate or
Unfeafonab1e coldnefs o( the Air ( espe-
cially when k finds fuch Bodies overhea-
(44d)
ted) dcfs very frequently difcompofe
the Oeconomieot thetn, and occafion va-
riety of Difcafes 5 but in the folid and
durable Body of Iron it felf, in which
one would not expect that fuddain Gold
fhould produce any notable change,- it
may have (o great an operation, that if
you take a Wire, or other (lender piece
of(tee>,and having brought it in the fire
to a white heat. You fuffer it afterwards
to cool leafurely in the Air, it will when
it is eold be much of the fame hardneffe
it was of before .* Whereas if as foon as
You remove it from the fir% you plunge
it into cold Water, it will upon the fud-
den Refrigeration acquire a very much
greater hardnefs then it had beforesNay,
and will become manifcitiy kittle. And
that you may not impute this to any pe-
culiar Quality in the Water, or other
Liquor, or Unctuous matter, wherein
roch heated ftcel is wont to be quenched
that it maybe temper'd ; I know a very
skillful Tradcfman , that divers times
hardens ftcel by { uddenly cooling it in a
Body that is neither a liquor,nor Co much
as moiu\ A tryal of that Nature I re-
member I have feen made. And how-
ever by the operation that Water has
npoi*
U40
upon Seel quenched in ir, whether upofi
the Account of its coldnefs and moiHurej
or upon that of any other of its qualities,
it appears, that water is not alwaies fo
inefficacious and contemptible a Body,
as our Chymifts would have it paffe for.
And what I have faid of the Efficacy of
Cold and Hear, might perhaps be e'afily
enough carried further by other confide*
rations and experiments ; were k not
chat having been memion'd only upon
the Bye,1 1 muft not infill: on it, but pro*
eeed to another Subject.
£ H Z J T J.
PAg. 5 . line. *, veadfo qualify* d, 15. 19. Ration-
nations, 2$ M-'for "dr%$. 17. inaparenth. (that
is no more) 51 24. be fides another Caput, 79. 10. em-
floy,%<5. !?• flruBure^n. fa. SacJ^, ibid.. 22. Sacl^,
104.29. inftead Qiappear it,rvill,\eg. appear , it reHl,
1 18. 20. leafure,\h\d. principal, ii6. 20. and till it
■fnffer, 129. 2, leg- in pav(nth-(mtwithftanding,pjrc*
131. 15. fo, 144- i5-^hxunc-> 1'>1' 5- r.n have
'beenrefblved, 180. 2$. Magiflram, jS'5.T5- lately,
j 8 8. 1 $. tunned, 200. 1. intolerable, ibid. 2, «$ 209
2\. tegul arum, 2\ o.-j.difiiTd from, 2\<y, 25-dele ffe,
220. 1. bodies, 2.2%. 11. fugitive, 231.17- inftead of
*/./ lege* pound,2-tf.6.Cbymift,*4 2- * 8.4/ftw o#,2$i .
22 DeopiUtiveJ 259- 6« ft /^/» z59- I0 i<n'* *'*
X*i$-, '^ ««*'*" "'Xs'? 1 276. 25- make a parenrh
at the words, by the, andfhut it after the words in
the 27. Hue at all, f8fo. if. G&r<*/.r, 288. 5. afenbes,
294. 22.j>oro/frj>,ibid28. »<w«', 20(5. 1. Bodies.$o$.
8 Cattendsd' 307. 12. dele ^,308. 12. devffers.3**
■ v ' 14,
(44*)
J4- md,it^. 3. too,^\^.2^. fugitiveneJJ'e, 333. ijc
brigine, ibid. 24. contrivance of , 339. 1. Ar^, B*r-
?/jr^, 142. 3. in-* Jw7//,g5o. 26, «:Z>/W, 356. 11.
Goutieres. 358. 6. 4B/W. 360.1. compertitfimumjbiA
18. Joachimica,\biA. 19. gramink,\b\A. 23.^,362
■6. Dutch account, 363.2. diggers J ibid it. and 12.
lin. read <&«# as the EngUflmen aljfo call it £66. 2 5
a height, %68. ip. f« ufe.y,o. 9. /*/-fcr ; ^«</, ibid.
■24. WriW ; J, 377-22. Af/?,ibid. 25. ^/ioxrj> 3?8.
23. after 4g£reg«/einfert or complex, ibid 27. dele J
ibid 28. dele J, 379. 4. before as begin a parenth.
which ends lin. 9. at GoW. ibid, inftead of Which,
fmThkJbiA. 12. with. the word Texture lhonld
e conneded the next line, Though, and this word
Thoughh to have put before it a parcnthefis, which
is to end at the word Pluid'm the 1 6th. line ,383 3.
Regulus Martis SteUatiu, 3 82 . 3. Jte lotions, ibid 9.
Chymift, 386. 29. confejjeby teaching it, 391. 8. W
jer w<y, 392. i. *zn, ibid; 12; 0/, 393. difiintf faftsi
397- '3> Talc^,^8. 18. Earth, 299. 18. parts ,404*
$.fal'petrat 419. 20. after it put in Srf/.
7 &> Publisher doth advertise the Redder ?
that feeing there are divers Experiments re-
lated in this Treatife, which the Author is
not unwilling to fubmit to the consideration
alfo of P arraign Philosophers^ he believes
this piece will be verjfion tranjlated into
Latin,
EN 0.
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